Daijiworld Media Network - Jalandhar

Jalandhar, Aug 6: A youth from Punjab's Jalandhar has alleged that he was duped by a travel agent who promised him a lucrative fruit-picking job in Russia but instead abandoned him in a remote forest after he arrived in Moscow.

The youth, identified as Akashdeep, a resident of Ram Nagar in Jalandhar, shared a series of five videos on social media documenting his journey from Delhi Airport to Russia and appealed to others not to trust travel agents offering overseas jobs. He alleged that some agents are luring Indian youths with fake employment promises and facilitating their recruitment into the Russian military.

According to Akashdeep, he travelled from Delhi to Moscow on June 15 after a Jalandhar-based travel agent, identified as Pawan Kumar, assured him of a well-paying fruit-picking job, air-conditioned accommodation and good food.

However, after landing in Moscow, he claimed an associate of the agent received him at the airport along with around 10 other Indian nationals and transported them to a forested area before abandoning them.

Akashdeep alleged that he was the only person from Punjab in the group, while the others were from Haryana and Rajasthan. He said they wandered through the forest before reaching what he described as a dilapidated shelter resembling a scrapyard.

He claimed the group is currently stranded there with no clarity about their future employment or movement.

In one of the videos, Akashdeep showed the accommodation where, he alleged, 10 people were forced to stay in a cramped room under poor living conditions. He described the shelter as unhygienic, saying the beds were dirty and the toilet was in a severely damaged condition.

According to him, the videos were uploaded primarily to assure his family that he had reached Russia safely and to expose the reality faced by those who travel abroad through fraudulent job offers.

Akashdeep further alleged that when the group questioned the agent's associate about their situation, they were told that no further arrangements would be made until payment was received from the travel agent.

Surrounded by dense forest, he claimed they had no means of leaving the area or seeking assistance.

The youth also alleged that although he had been promised a work visa, he later discovered that he had entered Russia on a tourist visa.

When he questioned the travel agent, Akashdeep claimed he was told that the visa would be extended later. He further alleged that the agent informed him his responsibility ended once he reached Russian soil.

"He told me, 'I brought you to Russian soil. My job is over. Whatever happens now is your responsibility,'" Akashdeep claimed.

He also revealed that his mother is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jalandhar while he remains stranded in Russia.

Appealing to other young Indians, Akashdeep urged them not to travel to Russia through unverified travel agents. He further alleged that several agents were misleading unemployed youths with fake overseas job offers and that many young men from Haryana and Rajasthan had allegedly been pushed towards recruitment in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict after being deceived.

The allegations made by Akashdeep have not been independently verified. There was no immediate response from the travel agent named in the videos regarding the claims.