Hoshiarpur, May 29 -- The Indian Embassy in Tehran on Wednesday said it has strongly taken up with Iranian authorities the case of three Punjab residents who went missing after reaching the West Asian country earlier this month, with their families alleging that the trio were abducted and their captors demanding ransom for their release. The three missing men have been identified as Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, and Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, in Punjab. The Indian Embassy, in a statement released on Wednesday, said that it has requested Iranian authorities to trace the location of the missing men and ensure their safety. "Family members of 3 Indian citizens have informed the Embassy of India that their relatives are missing after having travelled to Iran," the Indian Embassy said. "The Embassy has strongly taken up this matter with the Iranian authorities, and requested that the missing Indians should be urgently traced and their safety should be ensured. We are also keeping the family- members regularly updated of the efforts being made by the Embassy." According to a police complaint filed by Amritpal Singh's mother Gurdip Kaur, her son was allegedly promised work in Australia by Piplanwala-based travel agents and brothers Dheeraj Atwal and Kamal Atwal. The accused allegedly took Rs.18 lakh from Amritpal and offered to take him to Australia via Iran using a donkey route, police said. A "donkey route" is an illegal and dangerous method used for migration that involves crossing multiple countries and perilous terrain. Amritpal along with Hushanpreet Singh and Jaspal Singh travelled took a flight for Tehran from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on May 1, Kaur said in her complaint dated May 16. A day later, her son called to inform that he had reached Iran and that he would soon travel to Australia. "Almost an hour later, Amritpal called again and said that he and the other two men had been held captive and the captors were demanding money, saying they had not been paid by their agents," Kaur said in her complaint. Kaur said that the captors, in a video call with the families, beat up the three men and demanded they transfer Rs.18 lakh each via moneygram. Amritpal's family later approached the travel agents at their residence for help, however, the two had fled and switched off their phone. Based on Kaur's complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Model Town police station on May 16 against the Atwal brothers and one of their employees. No arrests have been made so far in the case. "Efforts are on to nab the absconding agents," station house officer Gursahib Singh said....