Patna: Four youths from Bihar’s Buxar and Bhojpur districts are feared to be trapped in Cambodia after travelling there in search of employment, with their families claiming they have been unable to contact them regularly for nearly 25 days. The relatives say they have received only occasional voice messages demanding large sums of money for their release.
According to family members, Govind Singh, a resident of the Koransarai police station area in Buxar district, travelled to Cambodia on January 3, 2026 after being promised a job opportunity. Vinod Kumar Chaudhary from Kadasar village in the same area had accompanied him. Later, Marjeet Kumar from Manudihari village under Tiyar police station in Bhojpur district and Manish Kumar from Khanni Kalan village in the Agiaon area also travelled to Cambodia on January 29. The latter two are related as brothers-in-law.
Families allege that a broker from Maharashtra, identified as Santosh Chaupagar, also known as Lucky, lured the youths with promises of jobs in hotel food packaging or waiter positions with salaries of Rs 75,000 to Rs 80,000 per month. The men were reportedly sent to Cambodia on tourist visas. However, after arriving there, they were allegedly pressured to work for a cyber fraud network.
Relatives claim that when the youths refused to participate in illegal activities, their passports and other documents were confiscated and they were detained. Govind Singh’s brother, Akhilesh Kumar, said the family received a phone call on February 19 from a Pakistani phone number, during which they were told the four men were being held in what was described as a “Sim Rap jail” in Cambodia.
Initially, the callers allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh for their release, but the amount was later increased to Rs 6 lakh. The development has left the families deeply distressed. Govind’s mother, Vimla Devi, and his wife, Nibha Kumari, are said to be in constant anxiety as they await news about his safety.
Two other youths from the same region, Rajesh Kumar and Akash Kumar, had earlier travelled to Cambodia under similar promises of food-packing jobs. According to villagers, they managed to return to India after paying Rs 17,000 each to intermediaries and later informed locals about the conditions faced by others who remained trapped there.
Family members also claim that the four youths had booked flight tickets to Mumbai on February 19 in an attempt to return to India. However, before they could travel, they were reportedly detained by Cambodian authorities, after which contact with them became extremely limited.
Amid growing concern, Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh and Ara MP Sudama Prasad have written to India’s external affairs minister seeking urgent intervention. The families have also appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs and local authorities for help, urging the government to ensure the safe return of the stranded youths as uncertainty continues to grow.
