Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jun 4: India on Wednesday expressed deep gratitude to the Iranian government for swiftly rescuing three Indian citizens who were kidnapped in Tehran, calling the move a reflection of the "true spirit of friendship" between the two countries.
"The three kidnapped Indian citizens have been safely rescued and are now under the care of the Embassy of India, which is facilitating their early repatriation," the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X. “We sincerely thank the Government of Iran for their swift and effective efforts in securing their release. Your support reflects the true spirit of friendship between two nations,” it added.
The three Indians — identified as Jaspal Singh, Hushanpreet Singh, and Amritpal Singh, all from Punjab — had reportedly gone missing after arriving in Tehran on May 1. According to Iranian media, the trio were rescued during a police operation in Varamin, south of Tehran, aimed at targeting the gang responsible for their abduction.
On Tuesday night, the Iranian Embassy in India confirmed their release, citing a report by the semi-official Mehr News Agency. “Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police. Local media in Iran say police have found and released three Indian men who had gone missing in Iran,” the Embassy noted.
The men had reportedly travelled to Iran with plans to eventually reach Australia for employment, based on promises made by an unauthorized travel agency. Family members of the victims approached the Indian Embassy after losing contact with them, prompting urgent diplomatic intervention.
In a statement issued on May 28, the Indian Embassy had said, “Family members of three Indian citizens have informed the Embassy of India that their relatives are missing after having travelled to Iran. The Embassy has strongly taken up this matter with the Iranian authorities and requested that the missing Indians should be urgently traced.”
Reports also surfaced that the families of the abducted men received ransom demands amounting to Rs 1 crore, with calls allegedly made from Pakistani phone numbers. These alarming developments led to intensified cooperation between Indian and Iranian authorities.
The Iranian Embassy in India confirmed that its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consular Affairs Department had been closely following the case. It also issued a public advisory warning Indian citizens not to fall prey to false promises by unregistered travel agents or illegal recruitment agencies.
India, too, has reiterated its travel advisory urging citizens visiting Iran to stay in touch with Indian diplomatic missions and avoid dealing with unauthorized intermediaries.