12 Punjabi youths lodged in Armenia Jail, kin seek govt intervention

Roshan Lal, brother Ram Lal, currently detained in Armenia, told Seechewal that travel agent Ladi Gill in Armenia extorted lakhs of rupees from several families, promising to transport Punjabi youths to Italy. Roshan Lal said Ladi Gill took Rs 9 lakh from him to arrange Ram’s journey and Rs 3.5 lakh was paid to the agent facilitating travel from Punjab to Armenia.He said Ram, along with six other youths, was apprehended by the Armenian army on the same day. Six of the 12 youths are Punjabis hailing from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and one from Kolkata.

Roshan recounted that his brother travelled to Armenia in December 2023, where Ladi Gill, along with Munir from Kolkata, escorted them to the Armenia-Georgia border by March 11, 2024. “At the border, seven boys were made believe that they were crossing over to Georgia when they were intercepted by the army just one kilometre from the Armenian border, leading to their detention,” he said.

Similarly, 20-year-old Gurjant Singh from Uttar Pradesh travelled to Armenia on December 19, 2023, on the promise of a lucrative job in Armenia by agent Malkit Singh, who took Rs 4.5 lakh. Upon arrival, Gurjant Singh met another agent named Rahul, who claimed to facilitate his journey to Portugal for Rs 3.5 lakh. However, Gurjant was apprehended while attempting to cross the Georgian border on April 5, 2024. Rajasthan native Bajrang Lal was also detained alongside Gurjant Singh. Additionally, 23-year-old Ajay from Sangatpur village in Shahkot, who intended to travel to Italy, was caught at the Georgia border in March 2024.

According to these families, the boys were lured by promises of lucrative opportunities abroad but were instead deceived by unscrupulous travel agents who dumped them lakhs of rupees and left them stranded in Armenia. Seechewal assured the families to secure the release of the trapped youths. He emphasised the need for stringent action against fraudulent travel agents and urged Punjab residents to approach overseas opportunities through legitimate channels.