7 youths held ‘captive’ in Saudi Arabia hotel

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 11

Six youths from Uttarakhand and one from Delhi are stuck at a hotel in Saudi Arabia. They say they have not been paid salary and have been held captive by the hotel management that has confiscated their passports.

Senior BJP leader and coordinator of the Dobra Chanti Pul Banao Sangharsh Samiti Rajeswhar Painuli has written a letter written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and requested her to help the seven youths, who had gone to work at a hotel in Saudi Arabia and were held captive by the hotel management.

The seven youths Virendar Singh from Morahu Hindolakhal village, Devprayag, Tehri Garhwal district; Sumer Singh from Madhuda Gaon in Jakhand tehsil, Devprayag, Tehri Garhwal district; Vikram Singh from Unana village, Devprayag; Subash Chandra Pandey from Jakhni Dhar, Radhudar Patti, Tehri Garhwal district; Sachin Singh from Ashotosh Nagar, Rishikesh; Gajendar Bhandari, Pthwali Gali, Selaqui, Dehradun, and Sachin Sharma, a resident of Uttam Nagar in Delhi, were working at Mughal Mahal Hotel, Southern Street, Azeeziyn Bhafar Albrain in Saudi Arabia. They allege that they are being victimised and are being held captive. The hotel management is not letting them go and has also confiscated their passports.

All seven have requested the Indian government for help pleaded for their release from the clutches of the hotel management.

Painuli has said such cases are on the rise and have occurred in the past also. The government should prepare a database of all such migratory youths and formulate a mechanism where their movements could be tracked. The youths should also go for work after checking the credentials of the employers in other countries, added Painuli.

Tehri Garhwal District Magistrate Indudhar Baudai said the administration was concerned about the well-being of the seven youths stuck in Saudi Arabia. The state and Union governments would be apprised about the matter for appropriate action so that the youths could return home safely.