In response to such reports, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted yesterday: “I have asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia.”

According to the Press Trust of India, Jagat Singh from the state of Uttarakhand was working in a hotel in Malaysia.

When he wanted to return to his country, his bosses allegedly took his passport away and forced him to continue working.

Jagat managed to escape, but ended up stuck here in Malaysia as he couldn’t leave without his passport. He then called his family back home. They contacted Indian minister Swaraj.

Malaysia is no stranger to cases of abuse and the exploitation of migrant workers. These victims were mostly employed in sectors infamously labelled “3D” — dangerous, dirty, and difficult — in manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and domestic help.

Last year, a report by The Guardian revealed that Nepalese workers working in Samsung and Panasonic factories in Malaysia were being duped, exploited and underpaid.

The men said they were deceived about pay, had their passports confiscated and had been told that they must pay large fines if they wanted to return to Nepal before the end of their contract.