- A Maharashtra man has been held captive in Myanmar, reported torture and forced labor conditions
- Kaustubh Shejwal was lured with a fake job offer in Bangkok but taken to Myanmar instead
- Government officials, including the state's Disaster Management Minister, are working on rescue efforts
One of the 25 people from Maharashtra trapped by international cyber mafia in Myanmar, has been able to contact his family and given graphic details of the torture and brutality they face every day. Kaustubh Shejwal, a 30-year-old resident of Mangalmurti Nagar in the suburbs of Nashik, has been held captive in Myanmar since April. His family is now running from pillar to post to secure the release of the captives.
Kaustubh, who has studied up to Class 12, left home on April 25. A friend had promised to help him secure a call center job in Thailand capital Bangkok. Lured by the promise of a monthly salary of Rs 70,000, Kaustubh had decided to go to Bangkok.
But instead, he was taken to Myanmar by unidentified people and held captive.
"We are forced to work 18 hours a day. We are served food that even rats and cockroaches wouldn't eat," he had managed to convey to his family in a phone call.
He said if they refuse to work, they are tied up in a room and subjected to electric shocks. Women trapped there are also being subjected to severe torture.
Approximately 25 people from across Maharashtra -- eight of them from Nashik -- are trapped in this camp, the Shejwal family has said.
Kaustubh's parents are deeply concerned about his safety. The family has urged the government to take immediate steps to bring not only Kaustubh but all the trapped young men and women.
With the assistance of a local BJP corporator, the Shejwal family has contacted the state's Disaster Management Minister, Girish Mahajan. Mahajan has apprised the Chief Minister, and efforts to ensure the safe return of the children have been intensified.
Sources close to Mahajan said he has also "communicated with the affected youths from Nashik to offer them reassurance and support".
"He assured them that the government stands firmly behind them and that all necessary mechanisms will be immediately activated to ensure their safe rescue. Reports indicate that over 25 youths from Maharashtra have been defrauded, with more than 400 youths from across the country currently stranded," the sources said.
Over recent months, organised groups operating from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and nearby countries were luring young Indians with fake job offers on social media.
They are promised high-paying jobs in IT, data entry, digital marketing, and customer support.
The victims are taken abroad and then moved to crime hubs, where they are forced to participate in various scams -- online investment fraud, cryptocurrency and other financial crimes. Their passports are taken away, and they get punished if they fail to meet targets.
In January this year, more than 120 people from Andhra Pradesh were rescued from crime hubs in Myanmar. In November and December last year, 79 victims were repatriated.
