Punjab, Haryana Crack Down on Travel Agents After Deportees’ Complaints

Punjab and Haryana Police have filed cases against some travel agents for the duping of illegal Indian immigrants deported by the US two days ago.

Many of them alleged that they were slogans of the duping travel agents who made them to reach through 'dunki' routes-the illegal, very risky and almost impossible migration pathways to enter into the American territory.

Punjab Police have booked a travel agent from Amritsar district, who sent one of the 104 illegal migrants back to India. The 104 were sent back to India after being arrested by the US authorities on Wednesday.

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The travel agent was identified as Satnam Singh Manan resident of Kotli Khehra village falling under Bhindi Saidan Police Station of Amritsar rural. He is booked under sections 318(4) of the BNS and Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act, 2014.

The police said that he is absconding and their teams are searching for him. However, cops sealed his shop at Rajasani.

“In 2023, my relative Gursewak Singh introduced me to Satnam Singh, a travel agent, and a deal was struck at ₹ 60 lakh to send me to the US. I deposited ₹5 lakh into Satnam Singh’s account and gave him my passport. He arranged a Nigerian visa, but I had to return as I could not get a further visa,” Daler stated in his complaint to the police.

He said, “On August 15 last year, he sent me to Dubai, where I stayed for about six-seven days. After that I was sent to Brazil. On August 26, my wife, Charanjit Kaur, and brother-in-law, Gursewak Singh gave ₹15 lakh in cash to Satnam Singh. After a few days, my wife transferred another ₹6 lakh into Singh’s account. On January 1, my wife and brother-in-law paid ₹34 lakh to him to ensure I crossed the US border from Mexico.”

“However, as per deal, he was to send me to the US legally, but I was taken through the ‘dunki’ route, enduring hardships like passing through treacherous pathways in the jungles of Panama before being arrested by US authorities on January 15,” he added.

Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the government is working to initiate action against other such agents as well. He said that a case was registered against a travel agent in connection with the recent deportation from the US.

He called upon the public to please lodge complaint against any travel agent who has taken money and cheated to file at the NRIs affairs department office. In a similar incident, the Karnal police booked four travel agents on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust, acting on the complaints from the deportees or their family members.“Following instructions from chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, a case was registered against travel agent Satnam Singh. Action has also been initiated against other agents,” said Dhaliwal, urging the public to file complaints against any travel agent, who has taken money and cheated them, at the NRIs affairs department office. “This will enable the authorities to take concrete action against these agents,” he added.

Out of the deported migrants, the police have said that two minors were also among the seven people from the district. However, the police have not revealed the details of the FIR or the complaint.

DSP, City, Rajiv Kumar stated that cases were registered at Madhuban, Assandh, and Ram Nagar Police Stations in the district.

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He said that based on the three men who came to complain, four agents were booked under BNS and Immigration Act sections.

“As the matter is under investigation, the names are not being disclosed as based on the facts, they will be arrested soon,” he added.

One case filed by Kalaram village resident Shubham, who happens to be the brother of deportee Akash.

He had filed a complaint on Thursday against a resident of Jalandhar, who promised to send Aakash to the US by charging him ₹42.5 lakh, saying that he was a fraud.

Another case was filed on the complaint of a deportee against the travel agent in the Karnal district, wherein the agent had promised to send him to the US through a legal route and charged him ₹40 lakh, but he was sent to the US via 'dunki' route.

Cases are also registered due to the complaints filed by Mohit and Sumit Singh or their families.

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