17 Indian youths who were released from Tripoli Jail in Libya in July, returned to Delhi on Sunday night. The group was stuck in Libya for the past six months after some unscrupulous travel agents duped them on the pretext of sending them to Italy.

A video of these stranded youths returning to their families was shared widely on social media platforms. They were seen embracing their family members and crying tears of relief as they returned to the country.

Reportedly an amount of Rs 13 lakh each were taken from these people by the travel agents.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney who went to meet these youngsters at the airport said that FIRs against the travel agents should be filed on immediate notice for conning them.

"Safely evacuated 17 youth of #punjab & #haryana from Libya after a great deal of ordeal of 3 months who just got saved their lives duped by illegal #immigrationagents charging 13 Lakhs each request @CMOPb @mlkhattar @DGPPunjabPolice to register Firs against culprits who committed this heinous crime," Sahney posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sahney who sponsored the expenses and cost of flight tickets of the youths, also promised that he will bear the responsibility of equipping them with job skills so that they can earn a living.

He said that he came to know about the stranded youths earlier in May this year and soon after contacted the Indian Embassy in Tunisia. A legal rescue process was initiated.

“My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia,” Sahney said.

According to reports, all of the Indian youths left the country for Italy in February this year via Dubai and then Egypt. Following their arrival in Egypt, they reached Libya, where they were kept in the city of Zuwara.

The youths claimed that they were assaulted and left without basic necessities including food, water and shelter in Libya.