In yet another case of dollar dreams turning into nightmares, 12 men from the state arrived home here on Monday, with harrowing tales. Duped by travel agents who promised them a year’s work permit, the men, all in the age group of 18-23, discovered upon reaching Iran that all they had with them was a month’s tourist visa.

The group was sent to Iran on December 17 last year and remained in misery for 10 months. Their release came about only after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approached Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, who took up the matter with the Indian Embassy in Iran that facilitated their return home.

The group was received by Majitha MLA and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

“We were promised a year’s visa with work permit, Rs 18,000 as salary per month, in lieu of Rs 1 lakh each to the travel agents. The agents took our passports and gave them back only when we were to board the flight to Tehran at Delhi’s IGI International Airport. Upon reaching Iran, we found that the passports were stamped with tourist visa for a month only,” said Sahib Singh.

“Our passports were snatched and we were forced to do menial jobs. We were arrested and tortured by the Iran police for illegally entering their country,” recounted Gurbaaz Singh, vowing never to leave India again.

He said more than 70 men from Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur districts are still stranded in Iran.

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