3 Indians abducted in Iran while traveling to Australia rescued
What's the story
Three Indian nationals from Punjab, who had gone missing in Tehran on May 1 while traveling to Australia, have been rescued by Tehran police. The men—Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur—had been lured by a travel agency with promises of job opportunities in Australia. However, they were abducted shortly after their arrival in Tehran and held for ransom by traffickers.
Rescue details
Rescue operation conducted in Varamin, south of Tehran
The Iranian Embassy in India announced the successful rescue operation on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The rescue operation was conducted by local police in Varamin, a town south of Tehran. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs's consular affairs department worked with local law enforcement to coordinate the rescue efforts.
Ransom negotiations
Families received ransom calls; MEA swung into action
Indian authorities were made aware of the situation after the men's families started receiving ransom calls from the traffickers. Jaspal's brother, Balwinder Singh, revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₹1 crore, which was later reduced to ₹18 lakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India quickly swung into action, coordinating with Iranian authorities to rescue the victims. "We are in daily touch with Iranian authorities and extending all possible help," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on May 29.