The police in Punjab and Haryana have begun probes against several travel agents upon complaints from Indian deportees from the US. Deportees claim they were conned by middlemen who helped their illegal entry into the United States along perilous ‘dunki’ routes.
A Punjab court has accused travel agent Satnam Singh from Amritsar of supposedly sending one deportee through these illegal routes. Deported together with 103 more on January 15, Daler Singh filed a claim saying he spent ₹60 lakh for the trip. He said he was detained by US officials after being transported to Dubai, Brazil, and finally to the US by way of Mexico.
Encouraging the public to submit grievances at the NRI office, Punjab’s NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal verified that Satnam Singh and other agents implicated were being taken under legal action. Following complaints from deported people and their families, four travel agents in Karnal, Haryana, were arrested for fraud and criminal breach of trust. The police have not yet apprehended the suspects but have assured quick responses according to their continuous investigations.
Calling for more public complaints to help put down these scams Dhaliwal stated: “We are working to act against agents engaged in these illegal operations,”
