For nine days, a family from Rahon in Punjab lived a nightmare after being kidnapped in Iran, tortured and held for ransom by a cross-border gang masquerading as immigration agents. The nightmare, however, ended on Saturday (October 4), and Dharminder Singh, his wife Sandeep Kaur, and their 12-year-old son returned home, broken but alive, after paying Rs 80 lakh, including Rs 74.5 lakh in cash and jewellery, to secure their release. Their safe return to India on October 5 has, however, been made possible, in part, by the urgent intervention of Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang, who took up their case with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). But behind their return lies a story of betrayal, terror and the cost of a dream sold falsely. 'All you need to do is reach Iran' The ordeal began with a promise: a local agent in Punjab convinced the family that they could legally settle in Canada — if not directly from India, then via Iran. “The agent said we did not need to worry and pay them after reaching Canada, and that he would take care of expenses until then,” said Dharminder (43), a farmer who takes land on contract. “The total cost is Rs 26 lakh for the entire family, but payment only after reaching Canada,” Dharminder quoted the agent as saying. On September 25, they flew from Chandigarh to Kolkata to Dubai and then to Tehran. The agent had instructed them to remain inside the Imam Khomeini International Airport upon arrival. “He said someone would pick up our passports and we’d be out in four hours. That never happened,” recalled Sandeep Kaur. Instead, they were told to check into a hotel as they were getting late. “When we moved out of the airport and hired a taxi, the local agent’s man called us, informing us that someone would come to pick us up. Soon, a taxi arrived, and a person alighted from it and claimed that he was sent by the agent,” she said. “We sat in the taxi and were driven for over two hours to a remote location,” she said. “They were from Pakistan.they first took my husband and then our son.” What followed was terrifying. “When we reached, they took our passports and phones. They searched our bags and our purses. Then they called my husband to the first floor. My son and I were kept on the second floor,” said Sandeep with her voice trembling. “They then came for my son, and then took me away. What I saw next is something I’ll never forget: my husband and my child were tied up. They tied me, too.” The kidnappers revealed their identity: “a gang connected to the underworld operating out of Pakistan, and demanded a ransom of Rs1.5 crore”. “They asked us to give them a single contact back home. We gave them my brother-in-law Paramjit’s number,” Sandeep said. “They told Paramjit to pay Rs. 1.5 crore. We asked the gang to take Rs 26 lakh, which we had to pay to our agent after reaching Canada, and we will arrange some more.” Paramjit contacted one of our relatives working at the Indian Embassy, who informed the Indian Embassy officials in Iran. “But as soon as our relative complained to the embassy, the kidnappers learned about it. They told us that someone from the Indian embassy in Iran informed them, and then they shifted us to another location,” Dharminder said. Rs 80 lakh paid, land sold, jewellery taken “We repeatedly requested that we could not arrange Rs 1.5 crore. Eventually, the kidnappers agreed to release us for Rs 80 lakh,” Dharminder said. The family said their relatives back home could arrange Rs 40 lakh, which was collected by an associate at Milap Chowk in Jalandhar. “Our relatives even recorded a video of the handover,” the family said. “Then we requested them to release us, but they refused and asked us to pay the remaining amount. We wept and told them that we did not have anything more, but they asked us to pay Rs 40 lakh more. Our family then sold six kanals of ancestral land to raise the ransom and borrowed money from relatives, but managed to arrange only Rs 30 lakh more, which was handed over in the same manner. Then they took gold jewellery, including chains, rings, bracelets and earrings from my husband, and also asked us to pay for our tickets, Rs 4.5 lakh,” the family said. “We were tortured. They pricked my husband with pins and beat him. My husband suffered the most,” said Sandeep. “They said that they would release me and my son, but I refused to leave without my husband.” No arrests have been made “After getting money, they let us go,” said Dharminder. “We know of other victims — a man from Gurdaspur paid Rs 40 lakh, another from Jaipur paid Rs 15 lakh.” “While releasing us, they made us sit in separate vehicles. They left me and my son at different places and my husband at the opposite side of the airport. It took us over two hours to get united, and we even missed the flight. We had to spend Rs 2 lakh more on tickets to leave Iran,” said Sandeep. MP steps in, diplomatic help ensures return After their family back home raised an alarm, MP Malvinder Singh Kang swung into action. “I was approached by the victims' relatives. I immediately took the matter to the MEA,” Kang told this correspondent. “I met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi and submitted a detailed representation for urgent intervention. The ministry responded swiftly and ensured the family’s secure return,” Kang said. Upon reaching their home in Rahon, the family was welcomed with emotional scenes. Elderly parents broke down, neighbours gathered, and the community heaved a collective sigh of relief. “We are grateful to MP Kang, the MEA, and everyone who stood by us,” said Dharminder. “But this nightmare is not over — not until those responsible are punished.” The family said that they would file a complaint against the local agent and demand a thorough investigation into the international racket. Kang urged the government to tighten the noose around such agents and raise public awareness. “Several families are being duped and destroyed. We must ensure this never happens again,” he said. As the family begins their long road to recovery, their story serves as a chilling reminder: a shortcut to dreams abroad can lead to a dead end — or worse.
