Seven youths from Kendrapada and neighbouring Cuttack district on Thursday returned home after facing six months of ordeal in far-off Malaysia. On Thursday, they came over to the Collectorate office here to meet and thank district Collector Niranjan Nayak for taking steps for their safe return.
Those who have returned from Malaysia are Dayanidhi Nayak of Hurasahi, Goutam Rout of Jaipur under Garadapur block, Udayabhanu Panda of Barapada, Biswajit Sahu and lalita Sahu of Sunailo under Niscahantakoili, Rajkishore Parida and Annata Kumar Sahu of Patrapur.
Expressing their gratitude to the Collector, the youth urged him to take stringent action against the local agent who had duped them of lakhs of rupees in the name of providing them jobs with attractive pay packages of Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 per month.
“We had lost hope. But luckily we are home again, thanks to the district administration, press and especially Sanjay Das, a Malaysia-based Odia businessman,” said Ananta Kumar Sahu. The youth had been flown to Malaysia in April last after being lured with good job offers by a Bhubaneswar-based placement agency ‘Indian Power Service’.
Also, they were made to pay over Rs 1 lakh each through a local agent for the trip. But, on their landing at Kuala lampur airport, they realised that the company they were supposed to work in did not exist at all. By then, their passports and visas had been taken away by the agent. Then these diploma holders and hotel management degree holders were forced to clean lavatories and do odd jobs in construction companies there.
When they refused to do menial jobs, they were meted out physical and mental torture, as a result they fled to a jungle in fear. “To save our lives we had to take cover in Johar Baharu jungle and Pangkor island for two months. We even went without food for days together,” lamented Dayanidhi Nayak.
Anyhow, the youth were able to call their families last month, after which they met the Collector and requested him to take steps for the safe return of the victims. On October 9, the Collector wrote letter to the Embassy there and sent the required amount for air tickets. Then, the Indian Embassy there took steps for sending these rescued youth back to Odisha.
Meanwhile, Nayak asked the returnees to lodge an FIR against the local agent who duped them.