VISAKHAPATNAM: An agonising wait finally came to an end for seven youths who have been rescued by the Telugu Expats Association of Malaysia (TEAM) as they boarded Vizag-bound Air Asia flight in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The youths, who were cheated by an agent by promising jobs, were rescued by TEAM following a report published in TNIE on May 16, 2019. The youths are M Venku Naidu, M Mahesh, M Srinu, M Girish, all from Rajam, and K Ramakrishna and Naveen Mownagi from Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam.
They had been initially provided accommodation in an apartment at Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur after they were rescued by TEAM from Batu Caves in Selangor.
Later, they were shifted to the shelter home at the Indian High Commission in the Malaysian capital.
The youths from Rajam in Butchayyapeta Mandal were lured by Jelli Srinivasa Rao, an agent in their village, with a promise of employment in Malaysia. After allegedly receiving `60,000 each from the youths for contract jobs, the agent had sent them to Malaysia on tourist visa.
Problems for the youths began after two months when local agent P Dhana Sekhar had denied them salary and taken away their passports. Following a report published in TNIE about the troubles being faced by them due to lack of work for over three months, TEAM extended a helping hand to them. It also rescued three more persons who were stranded in Malaysia. Surprisingly, one of them happened to be Dhana Sekhar, who cheated the four youths.
Speaking to TNIE from Kuala Lumpur, TEAM media convener Madan Mohan said the youths had undergone a nightmarish experience for over seven months. The association secured white passports for all the youths, he said. However, uncertainty on their return to India prevailed even after they were shifted to the shelter home at the Indian High Commission. Change of government in the State following general elections further delayed their return to India as their application with APNRT Society was kept pending. Madan said the APNRT Society had approved their applications recently. Meanwhile, the agent who cheated the youths had paid some amount to meet a part of the expenses of their return journey.
Venku told TNIE over phone that their travails finally ended. They were very much thankful to the Telugu association, TNIE and all those who helped them out of their troubles, Venku Naidu said.
Madan said a team of the association led by president Anil Kumar Chigurupati secured permission from the Malaysian government for their return journey. He said six youths returned to India on Thursday and the agent Sekhar will be leaving for Chennai on Sunday. He said the association rescued five more persons from AP and they will be sent back to India within a week.
TEAM, launched in 2015, has helped many immigrants cheated by agents go back home. Its president Anil Kumar said said immigrants in trouble can contact the following members for help:
Madan Mohan Bathula (+60166564955), Mohindar Chowdary Moparthi (+601111872997), Rajendra Veeramachineni (+60122283821), Kiran Kumar Kanaparthi (+60183274221).