They spent 403 days in Chabahar Central Jail and were released from prison on March 9, but have not been handed back their passports

New Delhi: Five Indians stranded in Iran have sought help from the Indian government for repatriation. The seafarers have been stranded in Iran's Chabahar port for two years now.

The five - Aniket Sham Yenpure, Mandar Milind Worlikar from Mumbai, Naveen Singh from Uttarakhand, Pranav Kumar from Bihar, and Thamizhselvan Rengasamy from Tamil Nadu - were arrested in connection with a narcotics case, only to be released after a local court in Chabahar found them innocent.

They spent 403 days in Chabahar Central Jail and were released from prison on March 9, but have not been handed back their passports.

Indian world forum President Puneet Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their behalf, seeking help and highlighting that they were duped by recruiters.

Highlighting that "these seafarers belonging to lower middle-class families have not only been duped by their respective Recruitment and Placement Services Agents in India" who in "collusion with their international partners promised them hefty pay jobs in Gulf", Puneet explained that "each of them has been extorted to the tune of Rs 5 lakh as charges towards arranging overseas employment.”

The agent had assured them of employment with shipping companies in UAE but was diverted mid-way to Iran without being given any remuneration. The five persons are aged between 22 and 30. After receiving the letter, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has taken cognizance of the development.