Navsari (Gujarat): Meena Joshi, a widow and mother of three from Gujarat’s Navsari district, who was stranded in Belarus after being duped by a fake overseas job offer, is set to return to India on January 24, officials said on Thursday.
According to those facilitating her return, Joshi will depart from Minsk International Airport at 9.20 p.m. on January 23 and arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 6.40 a.m. the next day. She will proceed to her hometown thereafter.
Joshi had travelled to Belarus after being promised a fruit-packing job with a monthly salary of Rs 90,000, along with overtime benefits. The job was arranged through Vadodara-based agents, for which she allegedly paid around Rs 5.5 lakh using her savings and borrowed money.
However, on reaching Belarus, she discovered that the promised job did not exist. Instead of fruit-packing work, she was reportedly made to tend to animals at a stable. With no income and no money to return home, she was left stranded.
In distress, Joshi recorded a video accusing the agents of abandoning her. The video went viral on social media, drawing public attention and prompting intervention by the agent who had processed her visa.
Piyush Chauhan, owner of Gajanand Overseas, said arrangements were made for her safe return after the issue came to light. “After receiving information about the matter, we immediately contacted the company concerned. The company sought a day, after which Meena was traced and shifted to a safe place,” Chauhan said.
He added that he had spoken to Joshi earlier and claimed that some individuals had influenced her to release the video instead of approaching the agency directly.
The incident once again highlights the growing number of cases in which Indian workers are lured abroad with false job promises. Authorities have reiterated the need for prospective migrants to verify job offers and recruitment agents before travelling overseas.
(IANS)
