Confined in Oman, woman returns after getting embassy help

Ludhiana: Jagraon police have booked a travel agent and two of his accomplices for an immigration fraud with a 26-year-old woman. The travel agent was a family friend who sent the woman to Oman, where another woman confined her for at least 15 days and demanded Rs 2.15 lakh for her release. However, the victim managed to flee from there and reached the Indian embassy in Oman after which she was sent back to India. On reaching here, victim Veerpal Kaur of Dholan village lodged a complaint with the police. The Jagraon Sadar police have lodged an FIR against the victim’s family friend Vicky Singh of Raikot, Krishan Lal of Dubai and a Oman woman. Veerpal said Vicky had promised her to send her to Dubai on a work permit. She took a flight from Amritsar Airport to reach Dubai, where she met Krishan Lal, an aide of Vicky Singh. Krishan further sent her to Oman to work as a domestic help in the house of an Arab family.The woman said the family had five children and a three storey building. She would clean the entire house, cook for the family and take care of the children. After a few days, she refused to work there as she felt overburdened. Thereafter, Krishan sent her to the office of a woman travel agent in Oman.Veerpal alleged that the woman travel agent held her captive in her office. She forced her to work in the house of the Arab family or give her Rs 2.15 lakh for her release. To torture her, she did not give her food. Her husband, who is a labourer, could arrange only Rs 1 lakh, however the woman refused to accept it. Somehow, Veerpal managed to flee from there and reached the office of India embassy. Thereafter he was sent back to India. Sub-inspector Jugraj Singh, investigating officer, said an FIR under Sections 420 (Cheating), 370 (Buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 33 of Punjab Travel Professional Act has been registered.