Seventeen men from Punjab and Haryana, who were held captive in conflict-ridden Libya, were successfully brought back to India on Sunday. These individuals were apprehended by an armed criminal group for illegally entering Libya, having been abandoned by their travel agents during their journey to Italy through Dubai and Egypt.
The plight of these men came to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Tunis and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on May 26, following appeals from their families. After being trafficked from India, the group was confined by armed captors in Zwara City. Throughout May and June, the Indian Embassy used informal channels to negotiate for their release, leading to their rescue by Libyan authorities on June 13. Although liberated, the Indian nationals were held in custody under allegations of unlawful entry.
Emergency travel certificates were issued by the Indian Embassy for their return, as they lacked passports. The Embassy also ensured their basic needs were met, providing food, medicine, and clothing. The repatriation process was overseen by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Punjab Rajya Sabha MP, with the Embassy arranging return tickets for their journey back to India.
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