Iranian Authorities Probe Disappearance of Indian Nationals Amid Alleged Kidnapping in Tehran

The Iranian Embassy in India is looking into the case of three Indian nationals who vanished in Tehran while traveling to Australia for job opportunities. Their families claim they were kidnapped upon arrival, and officials warn against illegal immigration scams. An ongoing investigation aims to locate the missing men amidst rising concerns about such travel-related crimes.

The Iranian Embassy in India has announced it is investigating the case of three Indian nationals who went missing in Tehran earlier this month. The men, originally from Punjab, were reported to have a stopover in Iran on May 1 while en route to Australia for promised lucrative job opportunities by a local travel agent. Their families claim they were kidnapped upon arrival, with the kidnappers now demanding a ransom of 5 million rupees (around $63,000 or £47,000).

On Thursday, the Iranian Embassy took to social media platform X to inform that it was keeping Indian authorities updated about the situation "within the judicial system" and issued warnings regarding the risks associated with illegal immigration routes. Their statement emphasized the importance for Indian citizens to avoid falling prey to unauthorized agents offering overseas travel.

This announcement followed a plea from the Indian embassy in Iran, which stated that it had urgently requested the Iranian authorities to ensure the safety and whereabouts of the missing men. Many individuals from Punjab seek better job prospects abroad but often find themselves victims of fraudulent travel agents, who utilize illegal and hazardous routes, significantly overcharging for their services without appropriate documentation.

Gurdeep Kaur shared her ordeal regarding her son, Amritpal Singh, age 23, who went missing during the trip. Her family had engaged a travel agent in Hoshiarpur to secure an Australian work permit for him. "The agent informed us last month that my son’s visa had been approved, and asked for 1.8 million rupees as payment," said Kaur.

After a series of delays and unclear communications from the agent regarding flight bookings, Amritpal, along with the two other men, was placed on a flight to Iran as a stopover on their way to Australia. Shortly after landing, Amritpal contacted his mother confirming his arrival, but only an hour later called again, stating he had been kidnapped. The call was abruptly disconnected, and he became unreachable.

As the family sought answers from the travel agents, they received vague responses and ultimately found that those agents had vanished. During this time, Gurdeep reported that they received video calls from purported kidnappers showing her son and the others in a distressing state with visible injuries. Initially demanding 20 million rupees, the kidnappers later settled on a lower ransom of 5.4 million rupees.

Gurdev Singh, Amritpal's uncle, revealed that despite the kidnappers’ demands, no ransom has been paid as of yet. A police report has been lodged against the travel agents, and local law enforcement is presently searching for the three missing men. Gursahib Singh, a police officer in Hoshiarpur, confirmed that efforts to locate them were underway.

Meanwhile, in the village of Dhuri, the home of Husanpreet Singh, another missing man, remains locked up while his grandmother seeks support from relatives regarding her grandson's disappearance. The Indian embassy in Tehran has continued to update the families on all relevant developments.

In recent times, India has intensified its crackdown on travel agents involved in illegal immigration, particularly following incidents where hundreds of undocumented Indians were deported from the United States. These troubling events have highlighted the ongoing issues of migration scams and the severe risks faced by individuals seeking better opportunities abroad.