Three youths from Kerala who were harassed by their employer in Saudi Arabia were flown back to India on Saturday said reports.

The trio -- Baiju Babu, Abhilash Gopi and Vimal Kumar -- belonging to Alappuzha district's Haripad area, went to Saudi Arabia a month ago with the help of a placement agency that promised them jobs.

The video of the Saudi employer at a brick-making factory beating them up with a wooden plank was captured by one of the youths and circulated on WhatsApp.

After the viral video sparked reactions among Malayalis and Kerala Gulf diaspora, the state government and the external affairs ministry intervened in the matter to bring back the youths safely.

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had reportedly got in touch with the Indian workers on Wednesday and ensured police protection for the youth. On leaving, the trio got their passports back from their employer along with the final exit papers.

Abhilash, who landed at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on Saturday morning, told the media that he went abroad with the hope of paying off his home loan as early as possible and that he does not know what to do now.

Watch the viral video below: