Promised Canada,held for ransom in Kathmandu

SSP Nawanshahr is enquiring into the incident following complaints from three youngsters based in Batala and Ajnala Monday afternoon. It is learnt that the three youngsters contacted a Chandigarh-based agent after reading an ad in which the travel agent had claimed “Reach Canada first,then pay us”. The agent asked them to first go to Canada and then pay for the entire process. The agent asked them to leave all documents,including passports,and said he would contact them.

The victims are Karan Singh,Sandip Singh (both from Batala) and Ranjot Singh of Ajnala.

Karan was the first target. “I got a call from Turkey on June 25. The agent told me to go to New Delhi Airport and catch the Canada flight,” he said. He went to Delhi Airport where he was made to sit on a flight to Kathmandu and was told he would catch the flight to Canada from Kathmandu Karan told the police that after landing in Nepal he was taken to a lonely place by the agent’s men,his hands and legs were tied and some intoxicant was given to him.

“After three days I was given a paper on which were mentioned the names of some Canadian cities and thee name of company and I was forced to call up my parents and tell them that I had reached Canada and started doing work in a company for a handsome salary. They also forced me to tell my family to pay Rs 24 lakhs to a Nawanshahr-based agent,” said Karan adding that his family paid the entire amount between June 29 tand July 2 in Nawanshahr.

The same call was received by Sandip Singh and he also went to Kathmandu but Sandip managed to go back to his hotel room while he was being taken to a lonely place. After a few days Sandip returned to Punjab.

Karan said after Sandip’s return the agent got scared and let him off after giving him Rs 3200 for travel expenses. Karan boarded bus and trains to reach home.

When contacted the SSP Nawanshahr Dhanpreet Kaur said she was aware of the complaints from these three boys and a team had been formed under SP(D) to investigate the matter.