Three Indian nationals who had gone missing in Iran last month have been rescued, according to the Iranian embassy in India, citing media reports from Tehran.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier confirmed it was in contact with Iranian authorities regarding the disappearance.
"Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police," the Iranian embassy stated in a post on X. "Local media in Iran say police have found and released three Indian men who had gone missing in Iran," it added.
The men, all from Punjab, were reported missing to Tehran police on May 1—the same day they arrived in Iran. They had been en route to Australia and had made a stopover in Tehran, where a local travel agent had promised them high-paying jobs.
Tehran-based Tasnim news agency reported that the trio was rescued during a police operation targeting the kidnappers in Varamin, located in south Tehran.
On May 29, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi had announced that the case was under investigation. It confirmed that Iran’s foreign ministry, along with the consular affairs department and judicial authorities, was actively following up.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran also confirmed that it had taken up the case with Iranian officials.
Relief for family
The family of Amritpal Singh who went missing in Iran are cautiously optimistic.
They received a call from someone identifying as Amritpal but they delayed celebrations till there was visual confirmation of his safety.
Reacting to it, Amritpal's family, currently residing at a relative's house in Bure Jattan, was overwhelmed by well-wishers and neighbours who came to offer their congratulations.
His cousin Yudhveer Singh said the family received a phone call around 6 pm on Tuesday. "The caller identified himself as Amritpal and said he had been freed from the kidnappers' custody," he said.
"He also asked for some money, claiming he had no funds left. But his voice was faint and distressed, and we could not be sure if it was really him or if the call was made under duress." Even though there is relief, the family sought visual certainty of Amritpal's safety.
"Until we see and talk to him, we cannot celebrate with certainty," Yudhveer said, urging the Iranian authorities to facilitate a video interaction.
"Only then will we distribute sweets and celebrate his safe return," he said.
How it happened
The three men—Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar, and Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur—belong to the same family and had lost contact with their families shortly after arriving in Tehran.
The Indian Embassy had earlier said in a social media post, “Family members of three Indian citizens have informed the Embassy of India that their relatives are missing after having travelled to Iran.”
It added, “We are also keeping the family members regularly updated of the efforts being made by the Embassy.”
The exact circumstances of their disappearance were not initially clarified by the Embassy, which stated that it had “strongly taken up this matter with the Iranian authorities” and requested that the missing Indians be “urgently traced and their safety should be ensured.”
According to a report by NDTV, the three men had been promised passage to Australia by a travel agent based in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, who arranged for them to travel through Dubai and Iran. Upon arrival in Tehran on May 1, they were allegedly kidnapped.
Amritpal's mother, Gurdeep Kaur, earlier said that her son had been working at a factory after completing Class 12. She said the family paid Rs 18 lakh to the travel agents, Dheeraj Atwal and Kamal Atwal from Piplanwala, after they promised a work visa and job in Australia. The agents allegedly delayed the departure date multiple times, eventually rerouting the youth through Iran.
The kidnappers initially demanded Rs 1 crore for their release, then raised it to Rs 1.5 crore, the families claimed. After the families expressed their inability to arrange the money, the abductors brought the demand down to Rs 54 lakh, they said.
However, the families did not pay and appealed to the Indian Embassy in Tehran and Punjab Police for help.
A distressing video was later sent to the families, showing the three men tied with yellow ropes and bleeding from their arms. The kidnappers threatened to kill them if the ransom was not paid.
Until May 11, the hostages were allowed to communicate with their families using the kidnappers’ phones, after which all contact ceased.
Punjab Police registered cases against the travel agents under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to human trafficking, cheating, and criminal conspiracy, as well as the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act.
The agents are currently absconding, and their homes and offices remain locked.