Passport seized, food denied: TN man dies hours after rescue from cyberslavery in Cambodia; kin seek body repatriation

COIMBATORE: A 22-year-old native of Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore died in a Cambodian hospital on Wednesday, hours after Indian embassy officials rescued the critically unwell youth from a room where cyber fraudsters had confined him for refusing to work at their call centre.

D Nandakumar from LIC Colony in Selvapuram passed away around 11pm without responding to treatment, sources said. Embassy officials had freed him after his mother D Geetha alerted them to his captivity.

Nandakumar worked at a hotel in Cambodia for a year before cyber fraudsters forced him to join a call centre six weeks ago. When he refused to participate infraudulent operations, they confiscated his passport, locked him in a room and withheld food, his mother alleged. Geetha told TOI her son became seriously ill during his illegal month-long confinement.

“As he refused to involve himself in any cybercrime activities, they didn’t even give him anything to eat. My son became sick and informed us of his plight over phone,” she said.

On Thursday, Geetha petitioned the Coimbatore district collector to bring her son’s body back to India. She alleged embassy officials initially quoted charges totalling Rs 7 lakh for repatriation, later reducing it to Rs 3.5 lakh. District administration officials assured her they would take necessary steps to bring Nandakumar back.

A domestic worker, Geetha said her son was the family’s main breadwinner. Nandakumar completed Class X and worked at a Coimbatore hotel before moving to Cambodia.