Were made to work like slaves, say 24 men who returned from Russia

Twenty-four men from the Doaba region of the state, who returned home after being stuck in Russia for more than six months after being duped by travel agents, said they were made to starve and work like slaves by a Russia-based construction company in Vladivostok city.

The victims, who returned from Russia on December 16, narrated their ordeal when they came to record their statement with police against two travel agents, who allegedly duped them by promising them lucrative jobs in a Russian company.

The external affairs ministry and its mission in Russia helped them return home.

A total of 26 men from four districts of Doaba region, including Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Jalandhar, were stranded in Russia but one of them, 25-year-old Malkiat, died last month due to depression. The men then assured the company that they will work overtime to pay expanses for sending Malkiat’s body back to Punjab. The body was brought back by his friend Joginderpal, who did not return to Russia.

While 13 of the 26 men are masons, 11 painters, one steel fixer and one welder. They paid around ₹1.25 lakh each to travel agents who assured that they will be paid ₹35,000 per month for eight hours of work daily.

But things were opposite as they were given meal only once a day and were forced to work like slaves.

Som Nath, 42, a painter from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, said they landed in Russia in mid-May and after a month, the company said it had deducted the amount paid for air tickets and visas from their salary.

“The company officials told us that they only have a mason’s job and the rest will have to work as labourers. The company also stopped giving us proper meal for several days. The company made us work live slaves,” said Nath, adding they lost one of their group members as the company failed to give medical aid on the time.

Devinder Singh, 33, a mason from Bhatrana village in Hoshiarpur district, said they used to work on sixteenth and seventh floors without and safety gear. “We suffered more due to the language barrier in Russia as we couldn’t share our views with the company. The travel agent told us that a Punjabi-speaking man was in the company who will co-ordinate with them, but there was no such person,” added Devinder, who went to Russia for the second time.

Pinku Ram of Nawi Abadi village, Phagwara, said: “We had to live in severe cold conditions in the accommodation provided by the company as there was no heating arrangement. We would have died there had the Indian government not come to our rescue,” said Pinku.

In the first week of December, the Kapurthala police arrested the main accused of the fake job racket, Surinder Singh, and his accomplice Daljit Singh for duping the 26 men.