Kurukshetra: After Mexico deportations, two Kaithal agents booked

KURUKSHETRA: Nearly a month after 311 Indians were deported from Mexico, Haryana police have registered a case against two agents for cheating two brothers from Haryana at Thanesar in Kurukshetra on their father’s complaint.

Rajnish Kumar (32) and Arun Kumar (29) of Thanesar were among the 311 Indian nationals deported to India on October 18 by the Mexican authorities for trying to enter the United States (US) illegally.

Both the brothers are married, have studied up to Plus Two and have two children each.

Jile Singh, a farmer from Budhera village in Karnal district, had sold 3 acres out of the 6 acres agricultural land owned by him to arrange Rs 30 lakh for paying immigration agents who had promised to send his two sons to the US, little knowing that he was dealing with fraudsters.

Jile Singh (L) with his sons Rajnish Kumar and Arun Kumar

Deportees’ dad sold 3 acres of land to pay agents 30L

On November 15, Jile lodged a complaint against immigration agents Sandeep alias Krishan of Pabnawa village in Kaithal district and his Mexico-based brother Praveen alias Binni at Thanesar City police station in Kurukshetra.

His complaint to police said, “Sandeep and Praveen visited our house in Kurukshetra many times and asked me to send my sons to America. Initially, we refused, suspecting they would send them through illegal route, but they assured us that they were authorised agents. They asked us to sell our land and assured cost recovery within a month of my sons beginning work in the US. They demanded Rs 30 lakh for sending Rajnish and Arun. We sold our land and on May 25, 2019, handed over Rs 25.50 lakh in cash to Sandeep and Praveen at our Kurukshetra residence.”

“On May 27, my sons boarded a flight from Delhi to Moscow and Havana. They were made to go without food at times and threatened with execution if the remaining Rs 4.5 lakh amount was not paid. It was then that we went to Sandeep’s residence in Pabnawa to hand over Rs 4.5 lakh in cash,” he added.

Rajnish said, “We were flown to Moscow and then taken to Havana, Panama City and Quito in Ecuador. From there, we were made to take the illegal route via Columbia, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala before reaching Mexico. Till August13, we had traversed dense jungles, crossed sea and rivers before we were rescued by the Mexican authorities. From August13 up to October 18, we were kept at a detention centre in Huatulco by the Mexico government.”

“We ate whatever we got in the jungle. We ate raw bananas and were only served beef preparations. Once we were rescued by Mexican authorities, we were given food packets of beans and rice every day.” He added that even a month after their return to India they were still recovering from medical problems resulting from their illegal journey.

Acting on the complaint against agents Sandeep and Praveen, Kurukshetra police on November 15 booked them under Section 10 (no person to function as recruiting agent without a valid certificate) of the Emigration Act as well as sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the IPC.

Kurukshetra superintendent of police Astha Modi said, “We have heard the family and will act against the agents. The case has strong evidence as the brothers were among those 311 deported from Mexico. We will obtain all relevant documents and facts. I urge other deportees to promptly report the matter to police and we will take stringent action.”