Sikh man from Moga abducted in Iran, kin write to PM Modi

Sidhu belongs to Daudhar Garbi village of Moga. His family said that even as he managed to escape and reach Tehran, the Indian Embassy was not providing any assistance to facilitate his safe return to India.

Sandeep Kaur said that her brother Sidhu had started his fruits business nearly three years back in Qatar and he had gone to Iran to get containers of watermelons loaded. “He had gone there for his business but some unidentified persons abducted and robbed him. They also snatched his 3000 Euros and blackmailed him for more money. They also threatened to kill him following which we also arranged the ransom amount of Rs 10 lakh but even then they did not release him. He also sent multiple messages to the Indian Embassy but there was no response. Somehow my brother managed to escape from their custody and reach Tehran but even then the Indian Embassy has not offered any help to him till date. No arrangements are being made for his safe return,” said Sandeep Kaur.

“We also contacted NRI affairs and police locally in Punjab but they said that they cannot do anything about what was happening in Iran and only the Indian Embassy can take some action. We plead to the PM to help us and bring him back home,” she said.

In the written plea to PM Modi, Balwinder Kaur, 60-year old mother of Sidhu has pleaded that her elder son Jaswinder Singh Sidhu is employed as a carpenter in Dubai for almost 15 years and the younger one Manjinder Singh Sidhu is based at Doha for eight years where he used to operate a JCB machine initially and later started his own business of import/export of fruits.

She further wrote that Sidhu had arrived at Shiraz city of Iran on March 22 this year and on April 28, he was abducted from Dalgan County, by some ‘unknown persons who were heavily armed’.

‘After they took away all his valuables like passport, mobile, cash including 3000 Euros, he was chained and severely tortured,’ she wrote.

She further wrote that the abductors made him call his elder brother Jaswinder Singh Sidhu in Dubai and demanded ransom of Rs 20 lakh. She alleged that abductors demanded ransom in UAE currency Dirham and threatened to kill her son if not paid.

“After a series of negotiations, the abductors settled at Rs 10 lakh and the same was paid in cash 50,000 Dirham on 5th May 2022 to their agents at Dubai by my elder son,” she wrote.

“During the same time, my son kept sending emails to the Embassy of India along with his location and pictures seeking their assistance to rescue him. He also made several calls but unfortunately neither his email nor calls were handled efficiently,” she wrote to the PM.

The mother further claimed in the letter that the ransom amount paid to the abductors was arranged with great difficulty. Her daughter Sandeep Kaur arranged an amount of Rs 5.88 lakh (equivalent to 27,000 Dirham) by selling her jewellery. Further Jaswinder also arranged 23,000 Dirham from his savings and taking loans from friends. “Despite receiving the amount, the abductors did not release my son. They even threatened my elder son that if he files any complaint with Dubai police, they will kill him and his brother both,” she wrote.

“On May 24, 2022, Manjinder succeeded to escape from their captivity without any sort of moral or financial assistance from the Indian Embassy. He reached Tehran on 27th May, 2022 with the help of local samaritans. On the contrary when he reached the Indian Embassy, he was humiliated and treated like a stranger. Thereafter officials communicated to us that we will have to arrange an amount of Rs 1 lakh for his repatriation.. I don’t have any means to pay such an amount as already we have given our savings to the abductors,” wrote the mother further to Modi.

Balwinder Kaur further claimed that till date, the Ambassador of India at Tehran has ‘not met his son nor spoken to him’.

“… my son is in deep trauma.. The Government of India is requested to facilitate his early repatriation.. and investigate his abduction and seek action from authorities in Iran and UAE in coordination with Interpol…,” she concluded.