Women from Punjab being sold to locals in Muscat: Report
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Several women from Punjab are being sold to locals in Muscat and forced into immoral activities, alleged a woman who recently returned to India from Oman. Reportedly, the woman returned to India with the help of Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who fought tirelessly to get her back with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
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Woman reveals her experience in Oman
The woman, whose identity has been withheld, revealed that she went to Oman two months ago, hoping for a better life for her family, but had a harrowing time in the Gulf country. She also claimed that Punjabi women who were being taken to the country on the pretext of getting a job as domestic maids or caretakers were being sold to locals.
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Almost 35 women from Punjab reportedly stranded in Oman
Furthermore, the woman alleged that a group of 35 other married/unmarried women from Punjab are currently trapped in Oman after being duped by their travel agents in India and are waiting to be rescued. She claimed that after arriving there, vulnerable women are beaten up and threatened and are compelled to engage in immoral actions.
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My aunt sent me to Muscat, claims woman
As per The Indian Express, the woman said her maternal aunt had sent her to Muscat this year on March 16 with a false job offer. She was allegedly sent to Oman on a tourist visa, and her travel agent aunt charged her Rs. 70,000. However, the aunt, along with other agents in Muscat, sold the woman to a local for Rs. 1.5 lakh.
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Agents reportedly took passport, phone; locked her in room
"My aunt said that I could earn a good amount of money there (Oman) while working as a 'caretaker' in a hospital with a promise of a Rs. 30,000 monthly salary," she said. "When I landed there on March 16, the agents there took my passport and phone, and I was locked up in a room. No food was given to me," she added.
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Here's how Seechewal came to her rescue
The woman's husband, who is a taxi driver, reportedly met Seechewal last week, and she was brought back to India within five days. "On May 16, the husband approached my team. The same day we wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking help from it to bring her back," the AAP leader stated.
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Seechewal urges Centre to take strict action
Seechewal, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, has urged the central government to keep a close eye on such dubious travel agents and take stern action against them. He stated that most of these women were made to sign a two-year agreement by the travel agents, which gets in the way of their return to India.