Rayachoti (Kadapa): More than 40,000 people left for the Gulf from various parts of the district in search of new pastures but the whereabouts of many of them are still unknown. Cheated by travel agents with bogus passports promising them jobs, many of the Telugu speaking people were languishing in Gulf countries for no fault of theirs.

The family members of such people back home do not even know the fate of their relatives who left for Gulf. They are leading miserable lives here. According to sources, some of them died in road accidents. In countries like Saudi Arabia, stringent and capital punishments are imposed even for minor offences.

Many labourers from Kadapa and Karimnagar districts were hanged or their limbs were cut off. Speaking to the media here on Monday, Nagulamma of Sundipalle village of Rajampet mandal, said that the fate of their near and dear ones was unknown as they have lost touch with them. Another person Venkataiah of Shanikkayalapalli village in the district left for Saudi Arabia 13 years ago and his fate was still unknown.

Similarly, Vali of Sujjalapalli village left for the Gulf 10 years ago and his whereabouts are still not known. Some immigrants from Karimnagar district were shot dead in broad daylight on the grounds that they misbehaved with women.

Apart from these, several people from Rayachoti, Rajampet, Badvel, Railway Kodur, Lakkireddypalli, Kadapa and Badvel who left for Saudi Arabia to eke out their livelihood were yet to be traced. Their relatives back home were hoping that the government would do something to trace the missing persons on foreign shores.