A young woman from Punjab’s Moga district, who recently returned from Iraq after intervention by Rajya Sabha member Bab Balbir Singh Seechewal, said a travel agent from Jagraon lured poor girls from rural areas with false promises.Sharing her experience, she said 20-25 Punjabi girls were still trapped in Iraq after being taken there on pretext of well-paying jobs. The 29-year-old woman called on Seechewal at Sultanpur Lodhi to thank him for his effort to rescue her. She said she left for Iraq on Jan 8, 2024. The ‘agent’ promised her a tailoring job, weekly holidays, and permission to use a phone to contact her family but the reality was completely opposite, she said.Once in Iraq, she was forced to work as a domestic servant, she said. The employer tried to assault her, and when she resisted and recorded a video as evidence, she was brutally beaten at the behest of the agent and his wife, she said. “One day, they beat me until the stick broke.”The continuous abuse and violence took a toll on her. In desperation, she reached out to Baba Seechewal through social media on Aug 10. Seechewal took up the issue with ministry of external affairs, and she returned to Punjab on Sept 28. Even a month later, she is haunted by her ordeal, she said.Seechewal appealed to govt to take action against such travel rackets operating under guise of foreign employment.About the AuthorIP SinghIP Singh is Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India. He covers news in Jalandhar and neighbouring districts, and writes on politics, contemporary trends, Punjabi diaspora and heritage preservation. He specializes in deciphering religio-political peculiarities and complexities of Punjab. His hobbies include reading up on a variety of subjects.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGround Report From Supaul: Voters Reveal Poll Mood; Employment, Liquor Ban Key Issues | BiharChampion Of Global Boot-Licking? Pakistan Competes For Gold In Trump Flattery OlympicsEscalation Fears Mount As Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks End Without Conclusion In Turkey’7 Brand-New Beautiful Planes Shot Down’: Trump Repeats India-Pak Ceasefire Claim In JapanDelhi Tries to Make It Rain With Cloud Seeding: A High-Stakes Weather Experiment to Fight Toxic AirHAL to Manufacture SJ-100 Airliner in India, First Indigenous Passenger Jet Effort Since 1988Biometric Crackdown: Green Card Holders Face New Rules as US Tightens Immigration SecurityLawrence Bishnoi’s Key Operative Jagdeep ‘Jagga’ Held at US-Canada Border After Global Manhunt29-Yr-Old Indian Anilkumar Bolla Becomes UAE’s Biggest Lottery Winner Ever in ₹240 Cr Lucky Day DrawPunjabi-Canadian Businessman Darshan Sahsi Shot Dead Outside Home in Suspected Targeted Killing123 Photostories 5 fashion-forward saree-styling ideas with your winter closetDoctor rates 8 Ayurvedic herbs that naturally help lower blood pressureHow to beat procrastination and start achieving your goalsBollywood sisterhood rises from childhood dreams to screen power4 foods to combine with beetroot to boost iron intakeHalloween 2025: 8 last-minute costume ideas inspired by movies and TV seriesHarvard doctor shares 8 veggies to boost gut and liver health5 incredible Sun Temples in India for heritage travellersExclusive – Bigg Boss 19’s Baseer Ali calls out Salman Khan and makers for not guiding him during WKV; says ‘Malti’s remarks on my sexuality or Pranit’s joke were not addressed’Polki vs Kundan vs Jadau jewellery: Here’s the main difference that you didn’t know123Hot PicksCyclone MonthaBank Holiday TodayBihar Election 2025Gold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays OctoberBank Holidays OctoberTop TrendingTaylor Swift Wedding DressRussell WilsonCardi BTravis KelceTom WillanderNHL Rumor Roundup 2025Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State WarriorsWilliam NylanderJoe RoganKai Trump
A young woman from Punjab’s Moga district, who recently returned from Iraq after intervention by Rajya Sabha member Bab Balbir Singh Seechewal, said a travel agent from Jagraon lured poor girls from rural areas with false promises.Sharing her experience, she said 20-25 Punjabi girls were still trapped in Iraq after being taken there on pretext of well-paying jobs. The 29-year-old woman called on Seechewal at Sultanpur Lodhi to thank him for his effort to rescue her. She said she left for Iraq on Jan 8, 2024. The ‘agent’ promised her a tailoring job, weekly holidays, and permission to use a phone to contact her family but the reality was completely opposite, she said.Once in Iraq, she was forced to work as a domestic servant, she said. The employer tried to assault her, and when she resisted and recorded a video as evidence, she was brutally beaten at the behest of the agent and his wife, she said. “One day, they beat me until the stick broke.”The continuous abuse and violence took a toll on her. In desperation, she reached out to Baba Seechewal through social media on Aug 10. Seechewal took up the issue with ministry of external affairs, and she returned to Punjab on Sept 28. Even a month later, she is haunted by her ordeal, she said.Seechewal appealed to govt to take action against such travel rackets operating under guise of foreign employment.
