Trafficked and Sold: 9 Indian girls return home to Punjab from Gulf countries
Nine Indian girls who were trafficked and sold in Iraq, Oman, and Qatar by travel agents have returned home to Punjab, sharing tales of harrowing experiences. The girls were lured with promises of jobs and salaries ranging from Rs 35,000 to 40,000 per month but were instead subjected to inhuman torture.
According to the girls, upon arrival in the Gulf countries, their passports were confiscated, and they were confined to multi-storey buildings used as offices by agents. They were sent to work and locked in rooms upon return, treated like prisoners.
Three of the girls met with Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal at Nirmal Kutiya in Sultanpur Lodhi, revealing their traumatic experiences. They claimed 20 to 25 girls remain trapped in Oman, facing treatment worse than animals.
A 24-year-old girl from Jalandhar, who returned from Iraq, was allegedly sold to an agent after her visa expired. Her mother reported severe physical and emotional abuse, leaving her daughter depressed and fearful.
Another victim from Oman shared similar experiences of ill-treatment and physical exploitation by employers.
Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal has safely brought back over 100 girls from Gulf countries and urges parents to avoid sending their daughters to these nations.