Dehradun: A young man from Kichha in Uttarakhand barely escaped death in Dubai after being denied water by his Pakistani roommates for several days after India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, following the Pahalgam terror strike on April 22. Vishal managed to return home after Manikant Mishra, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Udham Singh Nagar, took up the matter.
Vishal went to Dubai through an agent named Sameer of Mohalla Alikhan, Kashipur. Once in Dubai, he was put up with a group of Pakistani youths. These men ganged up against him after the suspension of the treaty by India.
“If India has stopped water from flowing into Pakistan, we will not let you drink water either,” they told Vishal. The young man fell ill soon due to dehydration in the harsh summer. He tried to return to India but could not succeed.
When his family came to know of the situation, they informed the police. Mishra swung into action on receiving information. He ordered his men to get in touch with Sameer and get Vishal back to India.
Vishal finally reached home to Kichha on Wednesday. On Thursday, the whole family met Mishra at the Rudrapur Police Office to express their heartfelt gratitude for his prompt response. Vishal shared his ordeal, recounting how he had fallen ill due to the mistreatment by Pakistani youth, who denied him water as a form of protest against India’s water restrictions on Pakistan.
His family, relieved by his rescue, praised the efforts of SSP Mishra and the Uttarakhand Police, acknowledging their quick intervention and assistance in bringing Vishal home safely.
This incident has also raised concerns regarding agents who send young people abroad for employment, often without proper legal protection or support.