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In a world where dreams of a better life can sometimes lead to unimaginable traps, this is the thrilling true story of Ashok, a young man from a quiet village in India, who found himself imprisoned in a foreign land.

It is a tale of deception, torture, and an extraordinary rescue orchestrated by a determined police officer thousands of kilometers away.

Buckle up, this is not just a crime story; it is a reminder always to look before you leap into the unknown.

The Dream Job That Turned Into A Nightmare

It was March 2023, and 28-year-old Ashok, a B.Com graduate from Balehonnur village in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district, was struggling to find work.

Supporting his family weighed heavily on his shoulders.

That is when his neighbor, Nikshep, who worked in Cambodia, offered a lifeline: a data entry operator job paying a handsome ₹80,000 to ₹1,00,000 per month.

Ashok trusted Nikshep; they were from the same area, after all.

Excited, he arranged his visa and flight via Bangkok, paying for everything himself.

Upon landing in Cambodia, company representatives picked him up.

Nikshep was also there, and they initially shared a room.

The company asked for Ashok’s passport, visa, and documents for “official requirements.”

He handed them over without a second thought.

A week later, he was moved to a separate dormitory in a remote compound.

That is when the real “job” was revealed.

It was not data entry.

Ashok was forced into a cyber fraud operation run by Chinese gangsters.

He had to create fake profiles on dating apps, pose as women, chat with Indians on WhatsApp, build trust, and then scam them into investing in phony forex or cryptocurrency schemes.

Shifts lasted over 12 hours, with food and lodging provided to keep everyone inside.

Successful scams earned rewards like iPhones.

The compound was guarded like a prison; no one could leave.

Horrified, Ashok refused. “I am not here to cheat my own people,” he protested.

The gangsters showed their true colors: “Your documents are with us. Do the work or pay ₹13 lakh (about 1 lakh in local currency) to leave.”

When he threatened to go to the police, they beat him mercilessly and locked him in a dark room.

The Torture And Desperate Plea For Help

For days, Ashok endured brutal torture, beatings with iron rods, and low-voltage electric shocks.

He was terrified but alive.

Eventually, they allowed him to resume work under strict supervision.

Once, while monitoring a chat where an Indian woman was about to send money, Ashok’s conscience kicked in.

He subtly warned her in code words: “Do not invest, it is a fraud.”

However, the gang was monitoring everything.

They caught on, dragged him back to the dark room, and tortured him for six straight days.

Broken but determined, Ashok convinced them to let him arrange the ₹13 lakh.

They allowed two supervised calls.

He contacted his friend Manjunath Ravi (posing as a relative), who was working in Oman and knew about cyber fraud.

Using code words, Ashok signaled his dire situation: “I am trapped, need ₹13 lakh for release.”

Manjunath understood and promised to help, stalling the gangsters with excuses about gathering the money.

Back in India, Manjunath returned to Chikkamagaluru and filed a complaint at the Narasimharajapura police station.

Most officers dismissed it: “Cambodia is 5,000 km away, how can we help?”

However, Sub-Inspector Sri Guru Sajjan, from the same village area, overheard and took charge.

He filed an FIR against Nikshep for fraud and human trafficking, vowing to bring Ashok home.

The Impossible Rescue Plan

Sajjan approached the Indian Embassy in Cambodia through Karnataka‘s home ministry and also lobbied with MLAs and MPs.

The embassy sympathized but was unable to raid a private compound due to local laws.

“If he reaches us, we will get him home safely,” they said.

Undeterred, Sajjan brainstormed with Manjunath.

They targeted Nikshep.

First, threats did not work; he was in Cambodia.

So Sajjan visited Nikshep’s elderly parents and called him: “If Ashok is not freed, we will charge your parents too, they knew about your fraud.”

Nikshep panicked and agreed to help.

The clever plan: Nikshep filed a fake police complaint in Cambodia, accusing Ashok of stealing his mobile phone.

Local police arrived at the compound, “arrested” Ashok, and demanded his documents from the gangsters, who handed them over, thinking he would return soon.

At the station, Sajjan coordinated with the embassy.

Nikshep withdrew the complaint, making the case invalid. Embassy staff rushed in, took custody of Ashok and his documents, and whisked him away.

But danger lurked.

Nikshep tipped off that the gang might plant drugs in Ashok’s luggage to trap him at the airport.

Embassy officials ordered: “Leave everything behind, no bags, no pockets.”

They checked later and found drugs hidden in his suitcase, proof that the gang had tried to frame him.

Home At Last: A Miracle Rescue

In November 2023, Ashok boarded a flight via Bangkok and arrived safely in India on November 23.

He reunited with his family and visited Sajjan to express his gratitude for the “miracle.”

Sajjan’s extra efforts, blending diplomacy, psychology, and sheer grit, earned widespread praise.

Today, Ashok works a simple job in Bengaluru, vowing never to go abroad again.

Nikshep remains in Cambodia, still involved in shady work.

This story highlights the dark side of overseas job lures: cyber-slavery rings in Southeast Asia have trapped hundreds of Indians, forcing them into scams with torture as punishment.