Visakhapatnam: State Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu has pledged to take immediate action to bring back 16 youths from Srikakulam district who are reportedly trapped in Saudi Arabia. These individuals were allegedly deceived by agents promising employment opportunities abroad. The minister emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "We will work to bring back the youth of the district who were deceived by agents" and highlighted plans to discuss this issue with Union Minister Rammohan Naidu and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to expedite their return.
In addition to addressing the plight of these youths, the minister announced plans to enhance employment opportunities in North Andhra region. He expressed a commitment to developing local industries and improving skill training for the youth in the region.
Srikakulam SP Maheswar Reddy during a conversation with Deccan Chronicle stated that the minister is currently in discussions with the external ministry. He mentioned there is an allegation that three agencies have taken money and are not addressing the matter. Once the victims return, based on their statements we will registered a case.
The victims are identified as A Hemachalam, Maddili Siva, Paila Chandrashekar, Potala Venkateswar Rao, L Minna Rao, Dunna Vinod, Chitrada Ajay, Kuttam Gunnaiha, Gali Kumar, Pala Mohana Rao, Korikala Lokana, Tenage Devaraju, Kornala Shyam Kumar, Tukuna Behara, Gujja Lakshmana Rao, Kiluga Swararao, Buddepu Giri and Paila Papaiah
According to Srikakulam Circle Inspector, all victims paid between 1 lakh and 1.2 lakh each as part of their agreements before traveling to Saudi Arabia in August 2024 through a mediator. They joined a company named Komban located in Dammam but did not receive salaries for two months. On September 27, 2024, they and three individuals from Bihar Rajeshwar Kumar, Jitender Yadav, and Bija Mohan visited a local labor court instead of reporting for duty. Some were reportedly discouraged from filing complaints against management. Subsequently, they were told by company officials that they were no longer needed and would not receive salaries, being confined to empty rooms with only basic provisions. The company allegedly threatened them with deportation if they did not leave voluntarily. The victims claimed they could not return due to lack of documentation from four training institutes in Odisha named Panchamukhi, SR Training, Durga Ganapathi, and Brindavati.
