Haryana man who returned from Russia after 10-month ordeal meets Seechewal

Deepak added that he had left his home for Moscow on April 22 last year. “The travel agent had taken ₹4 lakh from me with the promise of arranging a job with a salary of ₹90,000 per month. However, after working for a month in the company, when I asked for my salary, I was dismissed from the job,” he said.

Deepak, a 25-year-old man from Haryana, who returned to his family on February 17 after being stranded in Russia for 10 months, visited Sultanpur Lodhi on Monday and met Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, whose intervention secured his release.

Deepak, a 25-year-old man from Haryana, who returned to his family on February 17 after being stranded in Russia for 10 months, visited Sultanpur Lodhi on Monday and met Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, whose intervention secured his release. (HT Photo)

Sharing his ordeal, Deepak claimed that he was kept hungry for three days in a police station in Moscow and was given only water to drink.

Deepak added that he had left his home for Moscow on April 22 last year. “The travel agent had taken ₹4 lakh from me with the promise of arranging a job with a salary of ₹90,000 per month. However, after working for a month in the company, when I asked for my salary, I was dismissed from the job,” he said.

“Later, the travel agent arranged another job for me in a company located about 500 km away.After working there for a month, instead of receiving the promised ₹90,000, I was given only ₹5,000,” he said.

Deepak said that his financial condition became so difficult that he could barely manage food. He was also unable to pay the rent for his room. As a result, the landlord took away his passport and handed him over to the police.

After being kept in the police station for three days, he was sent to an immigration detention jail, where nearly 150 Indians, most of whom were from Punjab and Haryana, were also lodged, he said.

Meanwhile, Seechewal appealed to the people of Punjab not to fall prey to fraudulent travel agents while seeking opportunities abroad.

“In the pursuit of going abroad, many youths are falling into the trap of fraudulent agents. In several countries, the situation is very dangerous, and our youth suffer severe hardships in foreign land,” he said.