Three Indians who were abducted in Iran last month have been freed by Tehran police, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The rescued men – Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur – had travelled to Iran on May 1 after being lured by a travel agency with promises of a safe route and job prospects in Australia. However, shortly after their arrival in Tehran, the trio were abducted and held captive by their traffickers, who then demanded ransom from their families back in India.
The Iranian Embassy in India announced the rescue via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming the successful police operation in Varamin, a town south of Tehran. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular affairs department coordinated the efforts alongside local police.
“Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police,” the Embassy posted.
Indian authorities were alerted to the situation after the families of the abducted youths began receiving ransom calls. According to Jaspal Singh’s brother Balwinder Singh, the abductors initially demanded ₹1 crore, later reducing it to ₹18 lakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India swiftly intervened, working with Iranian counterparts to trace and rescue the victims.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a May 29 briefing, “We are in daily touch with Iranian authorities and extending all possible help to the families. We’ve received good cooperation from Iran.”
The Indian Embassy in Iran also issued a statement earlier, affirming its commitment to ensuring the men’s safety and staying in regular contact with their families.
Families express relief
The families of the rescued youths expressed overwhelming relief upon receiving news of their safety. Amritpal Singh called his uncle Gurdev Singh from a police phone, confirming the rescue and stating he was undergoing a medical check-up. He also revealed that the kidnappers had been arrested.
Jaspal Singh’s wife, Kuldeep Kaur, said she was “ecstatic” and thanked the Indian government for acting swiftly. “The past one month was a nightmare. We thought we were hearing his voice for the last time during those ransom video calls,” added Balwinder Singh.
In Sangrur, Hushanpreet Singh’s mother Balwinder Kaur said she learned of her son’s rescue through the news. His uncle Ramesh Sharma confirmed a call from Hushanpreet and the other rescued youths on Monday, facilitated by a local police officer in Tehran. “They said the kidnappers, who were Pakistani nationals, have been arrested,” Sharma said.
He also expressed his appreciation for the Indian government’s efforts, revealing he had emailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for intervention.
