MP Satnam Singh Sandhu writes to MEA, seeks repatriation of 4 youth from Punjab, Haryana stranded in Ethiopia
MP Satnam Singh Sandhu Assures All Help for Safe Repatriation of 4 Youth from Punjab & Haryana Stranded in Ethiopia
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 15, 2026: Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Satnam Singh Sandhu has sought the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs for the repatriation of four youth from Punjab and Haryana who travelled to Ethiopia on a tourist visa but have been detained by immigration authorities in the African country after escaping from clutches of their kidnappers who waylaid them from the airport for ransom.
In a letter to the MEA, MP Sandhu said family members of the four youth, two of whom are from Punjab and two from Haryana, are undergoing severe mental agony because of this situation and have expressed grave concern over their well-being and safety.
He urged the MEA for immediate intervention in the matter for ensuring safe return of these four youth -- Gorav, a resident of Phagwara in Kapurthala (Punjab) and Manjit Singh, a resident of Rahimabad, Kalanaur in Gurdaspur (Punjab), Sukhwinder Singh Kakrala and Surjit Singh Cheeka, both residents of Kaithal in Haryana -- to India at the earliest.
“I have raised the issue of rescuing the Punjab youth trapped in Ethiopia with the Ministry of External Affairs and closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all relevant authorities to ensure his safe return to India,” MP Sandhu said assuring his family all help to facilitate their repatriation.
“The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very sensitive on such issues and taken prompt action whenever we bring such issues to the attention of government. I am sure all the four youth would soon be safely brought back to India soon,” he added.
Sharing details, MP Sandhu said, “It’s a very worrying and serious matter that our youth from Punjab and Haryana were kidnapped in Ethiopia, tortured and beaten with sharp weapons. They money and belongings were taken away from them. All of these four youth went to Ethiopia on a tourist visa or in some other way. But when they left the airport, they were lured by the kidnappers, one of whom spoke Punjabi and was a Pakistani, on the pretext of dropping them at a hotel. Instead, they misled these youths to some other place where they were tortured. The videos and photographs that I received of these youth are very shocking because there are cuts of sharp weapons on their arms and legs. I feel that this is a very serious matter. I am immediately raising this matter with the Indian Embassy in Ethiopia and Union Ministry of External Affairs,”.
“It’s a matter of great concern that such incidents are continuously happening to the youth who are going to different countries. I have started my work to track down these youths and we will do our best to bring these children back. But I would like to request that we refrain from going to places where there is danger and not put their precious lives at risk. Before this also, we have succeeded in addressing all such cases that were brought to my attention and we have succeeded in bringing back Indian youth who were facing difficulties and challenges in foreign countries. Our efforts will be to track down these four youths including Gorav and bring them safely to their parents. But I would like to request you once again to be a little cautious and not to put our lives at risk. But another matter of the biggest concern is why these circumstances have arisen that our youth want to leave Punjab even after taking these risks. It is a matter of concern for us. We all should work to make available required opportunities in ours state Punjab so that youth get engaged in constructive work and they are not required to leave the state for foreign shores. This is the need of the hour today,”.