The anguished wait of a Nawanshahr family has finally ended in relief as 32-year-old Jaspal Singh, a painter from Langroya village, was rescued from captivity in Iran after weeks of emotional trauma and uncertainty. Singh, who had travelled abroad in search of a better future, was kidnapped along with two others upon his arrival in Iran.
For his wife, Kuldip Kaur, the past month has been a tormenting period. Speaking to this correspondent, an emotional Kaur recounted the pain of shielding their young children from the horror. “My elder child, who is just three, would ask me every day why his father wasn’t speaking to him after going abroad. I didn’t have the heart to tell him what was really happening,” she said.
The family had been receiving distressing video calls during Jaspal’s captivity, where he was seen being beaten. Kaur, holding back tears, recalled how powerless they felt each time the phone rang. “Only today, we finally received a normal call. He said he was safe. He didn’t talk much — just said he’s fine now and there’s no danger anymore,” she said. “Only my heart knows how I’ve spent these days and nights. I was praying for him every single day.”
Jaspal had left India with the dream of securing a better future for his wife and two children — one just three months old. The family had struggled to raise Rs 18 lakh, which they handed over to a travel agent in Hoshiarpur who had promised him a path to Australia. Instead, Jaspal was taken to Dubai, and from there to Iran, where he was allegedly abducted.
The uncertainty took a heavy toll on the family, who feared the worst. Jaspal’s brother, Balwinder Singh, confirmed that the family was in deep distress throughout the ordeal. “It’s a huge relief to hear he’s safe. We just want him back with us,” he said.
When asked if Jaspal would consider attempting to go abroad again, Kuldip’s answer was firm. “Right now, all we want is for him to come home and be with his children. They need their father more than anything.”
As the family awaits Jaspal’s return, their story highlights the often-overlooked dangers faced by migrant workers in search of better prospects, and the steep emotional and financial cost it extracts from those left behind.
