MP Vikramjit Sahney releases 17 Indian teenagers from Libyan jail
MP Vikramjit Sahney was responsible for the release of 17 Indian teenagers who had been detained in Libya. On the pretence of dispatching them to Italy for well-paying jobs, several shady travel brokers defrauded them to the tune of an undisclosed sum of money (the exact amount varies from person to person).
CHANDIGARH: 17 Indian teenagers from Punjab and Haryana who had been imprisoned in Tripoli for the previous six months were freed Wednesday, according to CHANDIGARH.
Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Punjabi member of the Rajya Sabha, claimed that on the pretence of sending them to Italy for lucrative opportunities, certain dishonest travel agencies defrauded them (the sum varies from person to person).
at February 2023, they all travelled from India to Italy through Dubai and Egypt. After a few days, they were flown to Libya and detained at Zuwara City, where they were denied access to basic comforts like food and water and subjected to physical abuse.
Sahney claimed that as soon as he learned of the situation in May of this year, he contacted the Indian Embassy in Tunisia and started the formal procedures for rescuing all of the boys.
“These guys and their family were in frequent communication with my office. Our first priority, he continued, “was to free them from the local mafia’s imprisonment.
Sahney added that a group of armed men had held them captive in a building that was still under construction when the police seized them. “We forced these youngsters to flee on June 13 and took them into a hotel in Zwara City, Libya, with the assistance of the Libyan police. My office stayed in touch with these kids all night long till the early morning when the rescue effort was finished. They were thereafter confined in a detention facility until June 15, at which point we started the legal procedure to obtain them consular access, the official added.
Sahney reported that on Saturday, the procedure for obtaining their consular access was completed, and Libyan authorities freed them from custody and detained them in Tripoli while preparations were made for their travel documents—the Emergency Certificate—which would guarantee their swift and secure return to India.
Sahney announced that he will cover all legal costs as well as the youth’s return airfare costs. When they arrive in India, Sahney’s office will provide them free skill development and job prospects so they won’t need to look for work abroad.
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