7 Bihar Youths Stranded in Dubai
Deepak Saha| Kishanganj8 hours ago
Seven young men from Amour in Bihar’s Purnia district have alleged they are stranded in Dubai after an agent took ₹1.5 lakh from each of them by promising jobs at a socks factory, but they were not given the promised work and their passports were allegedly taken away.
In a video appealing to the local MLA and Bihar government, the men said they have been sleeping by the roadside and surviving on limited food, and were not given the work they had been promised before travelling to Dubai and that their passports had also been taken away. While alleging that the agent has also threatened them.
One of the men said in the video, “We left home for Dubai on August 1 and reached here on August 5. We were provided food for only one day. We have been spending our nights by the roadside for the past eight days. We are only being given assurances about getting jobs.”
The youths alleged that an agent had taken ₹1.5 lakh from each of them after promising to arrange jobs at a socks factory.
A Dainik Bhaskar reporter spoke to the affected youths over a video call. The men alleged that agent Gani had been threatening them and making statements such as “we will see you” and “teach you a lesson”.
What is in the video released by the youths? What did they tell the reporter about their ordeal? How are they managing in Dubai without jobs and passports? Read the full report.
Dainik Bhaskar’s reporter spoke to the youths stranded in Dubai.
Dainik Bhaskar’s reporter spoke to the youths stranded in Dubai.
Video of three youths surfaced first
A video of three of the seven youths stranded in Dubai has surfaced. The men said they were eating at a hotel when another man arrived there for a meal. He was speaking to someone on the phone and, from his conversation, appeared to be from India.
When the youths spoke to him, they found out that he was also from Amour. They then told him about their situation and appealed for help. The man subsequently began recording a video of the youths.
The men said that in the video, they appealed to former Kochadhaman MLA of Kishanganj, Master Mujahid Alam, for help. They also appealed to him to help them get their passports back. The youths alleged that their passports had been taken away soon after they arrived in Dubai.
On August 18, three youths made a video and sought help on social media
On August 18, three youths made a video and sought help on social media
Former MLA spoke to youths over video call
After seeing the video of the Amour youths stranded abroad, former MLA Mujahid made enquiries about them and obtained their phone number. He then spoke to them over a video call.
During the conversation, one of the youths said, “We have been stranded in Dubai for 17 days. We no longer have money for food or accommodation.”
When the former MLA asked how they were managing their food and other expenses, the youths said, “we had been managing with the money we brought from home, but now all of it is over. We have been forced to remain hungry for the past two days.”
Former MLA Mujahid spoke to the victim boys on a video call.
Former MLA Mujahid spoke to the victim boys on a video call.
Deceived by Agent with False Job Promises
The youths alleged that the agent had sent them to Dubai after promising them jobs at a company. However, after they arrived, the company allegedly kept their passports and refused to return them when they asked for them. They also alleged that they were mistreated and assaulted during this period.
During the conversation, the former MLA asked whether they had been sent to Dubai on tourist visas. One of the youths said they had indeed travelled on tourist visas and that each of them had paid ₹1.5 lakh. The amount was allegedly taken by agent Nahid Gani.
When asked how they had made the payment, the youth said the money had been paid in cash. However, they had a video showing the payment being taken.
Mujahid Alam told the youth that if they had photographs of their passports, copies of their visas and the video showing the payment on their phones, they should send all the documents and the video to him.
Stranded Youths Face Health Crisis as Former MLA Promises Action
The three youths have been identified as Dilferoz Alam, Nasir Alam and Rabban Khan. The former MLA said another youth named Zakir had also contacted him and informed him about the incident.
The youths said their health was deteriorating because they had been going without food. The former MLA said, “he would raise the matter with the relevant officials so that they could return home at the earliest.”
On August 19, all seven youths made a video and shared it on social media.
On August 19, all seven youths made a video and shared it on social media.
Agent allegedly took advantage of youths’ financial difficulties
The affected youths said they had gone to a hotel in Amour last month, where they were discussing their financial difficulties with each other. One was worried about his sister’s marriage, while another said his mother was unwell.
“We became emotional and started crying. The agent who was present there then started talking to us and took advantage of our situation.
He said that if we could arrange ₹1.5 lakh, he would get us a Dubai visa. He claimed that after reaching Dubai, we could earn ₹2-3 lakh every month,” the youths said.
Trusting the agent’s assurances, they arranged the money. They met the agent again on July 30, after which he sent them to Dubai on August 1.
The youths stranded in Dubai have been identified as Dilferoz Alam, (25), Nasir Alam, (21), Rabban Khan, (23), Danish, (24), Nazish, (24), Shamshad, (28), and one other person. In the video released by the youths, they can be seen with folded hands, crying and appealing for help.
Agent Gani, he was the one who lured them with the promise of high earnings.
Agent Gani, he was the one who lured them with the promise of high earnings.
What did the youths tell the Bhaskar reporter over video call?
The youths said they knew each other and came from financially difficult circumstances. They often met and discussed going abroad to earn money so they could get better salaries and improve their families’ lives.
They stated, “Before travelling abroad, we underwent medical examinations. We were told that we would work at a socks factory in Dubai. After we reached Dubai, Nahid Gani told us that the socks factory had shut down and that we would not get work there.”
They said they were spending around 30 dirhams, or approximately ₹800, a day on food. They alleged that Nahid Gani also runs an agency in Dubai, which immediately demanded 2,200 dirhams, or ₹57,369, from them and asked them to submit their passports.
Agency Demands Money, Parental Videos, and Forced Apology for Passports
The youths said the agency told them they would not get work until they paid 2,200 dirhams. They subsequently paid the agency and handed over their passports.
“When we asked for our passports back, the agency told us that we would first have to record a video of our parents and send it to them. They said the passports would be returned only after that,” the youths alleged.
The men said the agent came to know that they had recorded a video complaining about the entire matter. The agent then allegedly asked them to record another video apologising to him. However, the youths refused to record an apology.
Agent allegedly threatening youths
A youth named Shamshad alleged that Gani had been calling and threatening them.
“Gani told us that he would not spare us. He added, ‘We are not some small-time people and you are like insects in front of us,'” Shamshad alleged.
The youths said they were currently staying at their own expense near Ajman bus stand. Before that, they had spent two days moving around on the streets.
The youths have demanded that they either be safely brought back home or provided jobs at a good company, as they had been promised employment before being brought to Dubai. They have also sought the return of the money they allegedly paid to the agent.
