Sometime last year, Ranchi-based nurse Monica Kachhap came across an ad on Instagram, promising lucrative jobs to women like her in Dubai.Monica’s mother had been unwell for a while. The 35-year-old thought the new job would help her pay some of the mounting bills and contacted the agency running the page.In May this year, Monica landed in the UAE where she was made to sign some documents.She later learnt that instead of being employment-related papers, they contained an undertaking that she had taken a debt worth 12,600 dirhams (or Rs 3.29 lakh) from her facilitators, and if she did not pay the amount, interest included, she would land in jail in the foreign nation.As Monica continues being in Dubai, where she alleged she is being made to do housekeeping work at various homes for the last few months, her family is seeking the Jharkhand government’s intervention to bring her back.Narrating her ordeal, the Adivasi woman told The Indian Express, “In 2025, I came in contact with an agent, Priyanka Arya, through Instagram. She claims to run a domestic staff recruitment agency for the Gulf region.”At that time, Monika was working as a nurse at a private hospital in Ranchi and was looking for better-paying opportunities abroad. “She told me she could arrange a nursing job for me in Dubai,” she added.Story continues below this adThe page Monika mentioned has over 16,000 followers and features videos of women giving testimonials about so-called jobs they have landed in the UAE.According to Monika, she was asked to send all her documents. “I had initially sent my original passport to an address in Delhi at Priyanka’s request,” she said.A brief change of mindBut due to the security situation in Dubai amid the West Asia war, Monika had a change of mind and asked for her passport to be returned. “She (Priyanka) refused and sent me a visa and ticket details online,” said Monika.With no options left, she travelled to Delhi on May 3 and got her passport back. On May 6, Monika reached Dubai where she was told to travel to Sharjah.Story continues below this adShe reached the airport where a Pakistani driver came to pick her up.“The driver took my passport as soon as I reached the airport,” she said.She said she was then taken to an accommodation where other women who had travelled for work through the agency were staying. The following day, she was taken to an office in Ajman, a short distance from Sharjah, where two men, whom she identified as Ritesh Kumar, Priyanka’s husband, and one Mohammad Meraj Ansari, were present.Monika alleged that she was immediately asked to put her thumb impression on a document in Arabic and English. She was told it was a standard two-year contract. “Later, I found that it stated I had taken a debt of 12,600 dirhams and that the amount had to be repaid by May 25 or I could face jail,” she said, adding that they asked her to pay a total of 14,000 dirhams, which included interest.Story continues below this ad“I couldn’t understand the contents of the document properly as it was in English and Arabic. It was only later that I learnt it was about some debt that I never took,” she said.There was more horror to follow.Made to do household workMonika alleged that instead of the nursing job she had been promised, she was kept at the residence of people associated with the agency and made to do household work. She said she was also repeatedly sent to different houses to look after patients and children.“I was told I was going for a nursing job. But they started sending me to these houses,” she said.In each case, she said, she struggled because she did not know Arabic and was eventually brought back to the office.Story continues below this adMonika said she repeatedly told Ritesh and Ansari that she wanted to return to India, particularly because of her mother’s illness, but was told she would have to pay 14,000 dirhams first. “Meraj threatened me by saying that if I did not pay the amount into the company’s account, I would ‘rot in Dubai itself’ and that nobody would give me work,” she added.She said her passport continued to remain with the people who had arranged her travel. Monica denied being subjected to any physical or sexual abuse.Her father, Ratna, has filed an FIR against Priyanka, Ritesh, Ansari and other members of the recruitment agency – AMD Trend Solution LLC. In the FIR, he has alleged that his daughter had been lured abroad with promises of a job, food and accommodation but was subsequently subjected to forced labour and kept from returning home.Ratna said his daughter had paid Rs 15,000 to Priyanka through UPI in April in connection with the proposed employment. The Indian Express reached out to Priyanka but was unable to get a reply.Story continues below this ad“We want our daughter back. We request the government to help us bring her back from Dubai,” Ratna said.Confirming the details, Sub-Inspector Pankaj Sharma of the Airport Police Station said, “Following a complaint lodged by her family members, we have registered an FIR at the Airport.” Authorities are currently in touch with the Indian Embassy to coordinate efforts and safely repatriate Monika, he added.“I just want to come back to India,” Monika said.