JALANDHAR: The district police have booked a travel agent for allegedly selling a woman from Gorsian village of Jalandhar to a Saudi Arabian family as a slave for Rs 3.5 lakh. The victim Paramjit Kaur (39) has allegedly not been receiving any salary.

A case has been registered at the Bilga police station against travel agent Resham Bhatti , also a Gorsian resident, for cheating, selling a person as slave, criminal conspiracy and under provisions of Human Trafficking Act, on the complaint of Paramjit’s husband Malkiat Ram.

“The accused is absconding and efforts are on to nab him,” said Nakodar deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Mukesh Kumar.

Malkiat Ram, a daily wager, alleged that as the economic condition of his family was very bad, he took on Resham’s offer of sending his wife to Saudi Arabia for work. The arrangement was that he would be able to pay the agent money after his wife started earning.

He said his wife left India on July 23 and was employed with a Saudi family, adding that after reaching there Paramjit was told that she would not get any salary as she had been purchased by the family.

Speaking to journalists in Jalandhar after Malkiat Ram called her up, Paramjit said she was living in a bad condition. “I have to work throughout the day with little break and am not even getting proper food. They don’t allow me to move out though I have been allowed to speak to my family on the phone. I have been told that I will not get any salary as the family purchased me from agents for Rs 3.5 lakh,” she said. She said her employers told her that she or her family would have to pay Rs 3.5 lakh to them before they would free her but that they don’t have that amount to seek release.

Malkiat said while police had already registered a case, the Union government should help with his wife’s return.

Meanwhile, a Mehatpur resident Rajwinder Sharma , who has been helping Malkiat Ram to pursue the case, alleged that the same agent had tried to deceive a 23-year-old woman from Talwan village and another family too.

Police sources said Resham was part of a racket and he was working as a sub-agent of some human traffickers.

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