NEW DELHI, 3 July 2004 — Relatives of 18 Indian chefs, who alleged they are being tortured in a US military camp in Fallujah, have appealed to the Indian government to ensure their freedom. The chefs were recruited in March for Jordan-based defense catering group Daoud and Partners, through a firm in Bombay. Many resigned three months ago and have not been paid, the Telegraph newspaper reported yesterday.
“They are being held back against their will,” said Princy Fernando, whose brother Antonio Maximillan is stranded in the camp. “We fear for their lives and want them to be repatriated immediately.”
Maximillan was one of 60 men recruited by Jasper International for jobs in Jordan. He was to be paid $1,680 a month, but quit his job in a month, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
Indian immigration officials claimed they did not know the chefs were being detained and said they were probably smuggled into Iraq. The government banned Indians from working in Iraq, but many are lured by the high salaries.
In May, 20 Indians ran away from a US military camp in Iraq after they claimed they were abused for nine months. The men said they were selected for jobs in Kuwait, but were cheated by employment agents and landed in Baghdad.
