Seven more Punjabi women rescued from Oman

Chandigarh, June 2 (IANS) Seven women and one boy from Punjab were reunited with their families, as they landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi Friday.

With them, the total number of rescued women in two weeks rose to 24 under the initiative Mission Hope run by Punjab AAP Rajya Sabha member, Vikram Sahney.

He said the Mission Hope, which was launched last month, is achieving great success and they are committed to bringing every stranded Punjabi girl from Oman.

"Our team is working on a war-footing and have visited Oman twice to liaise with all stakeholders to expedite the rescue operation as soon as possible," he said.

Sahney added he has hired a prestigious immigration law firm in Oman, which is fighting the legal battle to accelerate the process of taking these girls back home.

"Our lawyers are connecting with the sponsors and agents of these women and paying them the requisite penalties to get all the necessary documents for these girls to travel back home."

Sahney informed that the women who came on Saturday are from Jalandhar, Shahkot, Phillaur, Jagraon, Patti, Tarn Taran, Nakodar and Bathinda.

They were stranded after being lured by unscrupulous agents and so-called manpower consultants to go to Oman on false pretexts of employment there.

While one boy from Jalandhar, who was also trapped and was working as a sevadar in a local gurdwara in Muscat, was rescued by paying an overstay penalty.

Sahney, who is also the International President of World Punjabi Organisation, is bearing all the cost of penalties which sponsors are demanding to cancel the unreasonable contracts of these women, their air tickets, etc.

Akso Sahney runs a community kitchen at the shelter home where women from different parts of India are seeking refuge in Muscat.

Sahney said all seven women who were rescued will go to their nearest police stations and file FIRs against their respective agents who duped them and sent them to Oman by making false promises.