Punjab woman, trapped by ‘traffickers’ in Oman, not allowed to board flight back to India by ‘unprofessional’ embassy staff

Seechewal has handed over a letter to the ministry of external affairs and urged the MEA to help evacuate the woman from the Gulf country.

Seechewal took up the matter after Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Godhewala, Moga district, Punjab, approached a representative of the environmentalist seeking help to bring his wife (Swaranjit Kaur) back from Oman.

Kuldeep Singh told the representative that his wife had gone to Oman for work on December 27, 2022, by Go First flight from Mumbai to Muscat. On her arrival there, an agent named Arman received her and instead of giving her the promised household work, he tried to sell/traffick her on various occasions.

There are many other women detained by the agent for sexual exploitation as per the allegations of Kuldeep Singh. Kuldeep Singh also provided a video footage to substantiate his allegations. The video was attached with the letter submitted to the MEA.

Kuldeep Singh said that in the first week of January 2023, he received a call from Arman asking him to get a ticket booked for Swaranjit Kaur if he wants to evacuate her. Kuldeep Singh, being a daily wager, asked some social workers to help him book a ticket for his wife. A ticket was booked from Muscat to Mumbai for January 11, 2023, for Swaranjit Kaur, but she was not sent back to India by the said agent. A copy of the ticket was also submitted along with the letter.

In the first week of March 2023, Kuldeep Singh approached the representative of Seechewal and asked for help. The police were approached which called up Arman on his Oman contact.

“He (agent) informed the police that he was going to leave all the women detained by him at the Indian embassy in Muscat. On March 13, 2023, Swaranjit Kaur and other women were left at the Indian embassy by Arman. On March 14, 2023, a voice note was received from Swaranjit Kaur from a mobile phone asking to book a ticket for her from Muscat to Amritsar. A WhatsApp call was also received by the representative of the Seechewal from the same number. From the other side a woman named Rita informed that she is the warden of a shelter home of Indian embassy and asked to book a ticket for Swaranjit Kaur,” the letter stated.

The representative of Seechewal also asked if the tickets are also required to be booked for the rest of the women. Rita answered in the negative. She also informed that a woman official from the Indian embassy in Oman named Udhaya has instructed her to say so. “The voice note along with screenshot of the call is attached herewith,” the letter stated.

The letter further stated that on March 15, 2023, the representative continuously tried to contact Rita on her number to get the details of the ticket but to no avail. A message was also left at 09.54 am on her number to contact but to no avail. Thereafter, from 04.30 pm onwards, voice notes were continuously received from the same number in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur to book the ticket immediately for her. She was informed that the ticket could not be booked for March 15, 2023, at short notice. Therefore that will be booked for March 16, 2023, only. Voice notes are attached, the letter stated.

On March 16, 2023, the representative received a call from Kuldeep Singh to book ticket for his wife. A voice note was also received from the number of Rita in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur asking for the ticket. Therefore a non-refundable ticket was booked for March 16, 2023, from Muscat to Delhi for Swaranjit Kaur by Baba Seechewal.

But immediately after sending the ticket on Rita’s number and on one more mobile number provided by Swaranjit Kaur, a voice note was received from both the numbers, including one in the voice of Swaranjit Kaur and one in the voice of some other woman, that the ticket should have been booked for March 15, 2023, as some senior woman official is not allowing Swaranjit Kaur to board the flight on March 16, 2023. One more number 0096879964455 of someone by the name Rasha was provided to have a talk.

The personal secretary of Seechewal called that number and Rasha informed that Swaranjit Kaur could not be sent on March 16, 2023. Voice notes and screenshots of calls were attached with the letter.

“The sole purpose of writing to the ministry is to locate Swaranjit Kaur. If she is in Indian embassy, Oman, then her immediate evacuation can be planned. The embassy officials are also required to be trained professionally so that futile exercises like above can be avoided in future. Your timely action is highly solicited in this matter,” said Seechewal in the letter.