Rajinderpal said he was sentenced after some objectionable drugs were allegedly recovered from the goods being transported in another truck travelling along with his vehicle. (Express Photo)For Rajinderpal Singh, returning to Punjab after nearly three years in Saudi Arabia was not the end of his ordeal but the culmination of what he alleges was a prolonged struggle for help from Indian officials.Rajinderpal, a resident of Tarn Taran district, returned to India on August 31 after spending nearly 10 years away from home, including almost three years in a Saudi Arabian jail. He has alleged that despite repeatedly seeking assistance from the Indian Embassy, he received little help during a prolonged period when he remained in jail even after completing his 18-month sentence.Rajinderpal said he was sentenced after some objectionable drugs were allegedly recovered from the goods being transported in an another truck travelling along with his vehicle. He said they were three drivers driving different trucks, but he and another truck driver from Amritsar became part of the case because all three drivers were carrying the goods to be delivered and the documents for the consignment were in a single set covering the three trucks.According to Rajinderpal, he was released from jail 15 months before he finally returned to India. However, when he reached the airport to board his flight home, he was taken back to jail because his release had not been updated in the airport records. He alleged that the record should have been updated by the Indian Embassy and that it took nearly 15 months for the issue to be resolved, eventually enabling him to return home on August 31. He said that for months nothing had happened. His family approached Rajya Sabha member Parliament, Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal on December 8, 2025, seeking help for his return. Seechewal took up the matter with the external affair ministry and could make his and other youth from Amritsar return possible.Thus, he claimed, he spent around 15 additional months in jail after completing his sentence, with documentation and repatriation-related issues preventing his return. He alleged that his repeated pleas for assistance were not properly heard and that the response from embassy officials was indifferent.He also alleged that Indians facing difficulties in Saudi Arabia were sometimes unable to get assistance without recommendations. More seriously, he claimed that money was allegedly demanded for facilitating genuine work related to the return of Indian workers to India, including matters that he believed should have been handled as part of the embassy’s consular responsibilities.Rajinderpal has sought an inquiry into the functioning of the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the manner in which his case was handled.Story continues below this adThe prolonged uncertainty, he said, became particularly painful because he was separated from his family for years. One of the hardest moments came when he learnt in jail about the death of his brother in Punjab.Rajinderpal eventually returned to India following sustained follow-up by Seechewal’s office with the Ministry of External Affairs for nine months and the concerned Indian Embassy.The allegations come at a time when the Indian government has publicly reiterated its commitment to the welfare of Indians working and living in Saudi Arabia. During his September 5-8 visit to the Kingdom, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh held meetings on the welfare of Indian workers and interacted with members of the Indian community.On September 18, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to a question about an Indian citizen imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, said Indian missions remain in contact with authorities in such cases and that the government is committed to the safety and welfare of Indian citizens. He said details of the particular case would be obtained.Story continues below this adRajinderpal’s allegations, therefore, raise questions not about the embassy’s stated mandate, but about the actual assistance available to an Indian citizen when he is trapped in a foreign legal and administrative system.No response from the Indian Embassy in Riyadh could be received to Rajinderpal’s specific allegations.Seechewal said two youths facing similar circumstances were brought back and cautioned Indian youth against criminal activities abroad, saying such cases cause prolonged mental agony and harassment to families back home.