Three Punjab Men Rescued from Captivity in Iran

Three Indian men from Punjab, who vanished in Iran last month, have been safely rescued, according to a statement from the Iranian embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday. The embassy cited local media reports in Tehran, which confirmed that the Tehran police successfully freed the men in Varamin, a town south of the capital.

The rescued individuals, identified as Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar, and Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, were allegedly deceived by a travel agent who promised them job opportunities in Australia. Instead, they were routed through Iran, where they were abducted on May 1, shortly after arriving in Tehran.

The families of the men had raised concerns about their disappearance, alleging kidnapping and reporting that the agent from Hoshiarpur, who arranged their travel, had gone absconding. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had been in contact with Iranian authorities since last week, working to secure the men’s safe return.

The Iranian embassy noted that its consular affairs department, in coordination with Iran’s foreign ministry and judicial authorities, had been investigating the case since May 29. The rescue operation marks a significant development in the case, which had drawn attention due to the families’ claims of ransom demands and possible links to a human trafficking network.