New Delhi: Three Indian nationals from Punjab who went missing in Iran in May have been rescued, Iranian Embassy in India said on Tuesday. The men had travelled to Iran on May 1 on their way to Australia. A travel agent had promised them high-paying jobs in Australia, but soon after landing in Iran, they were kidnapped.
The Iranian Embassy posted on X that the men were found and freed by Tehran police. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the rescue happened during a police operation in Varamin, a city in south Tehran. The embassy added that Iran’s foreign ministry and judicial authorities coordinated the operation and were handling the case through their consular affairs department.
The rescued Indians have been identified as Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar, and Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur. The men’s families had earlier informed the Indian Embassy that their relatives had gone missing in Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs had said it was in constant touch with Iranian authorities to trace the missing men and ensure their safety.
According to the families, an agent from Hoshiarpur in Punjab had arranged their travel to Australia through the Dubai-Iran route. He reportedly told them they would have a temporary stay in Iran before moving to Australia. However, once they reached Iran, they were kidnapped. The families received a disturbing video call showing the men tied up, with knives held to their necks. The kidnappers demanded Rs 1 crore as ransom and gave Pakistani bank account details for the payment.
