“Cops said go and search for the agent yourself”: US deportees from Punjab rue police apathy, many reach “compromise” with agents

However, most of these 23 deportees who got police cases registered, told The Indian Express that after initial “sympathy” and “photo ops” by the ministers of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, “no concrete action was being taken by the police” and the “booked agents were not being arrested.”

Only four arrests have been made so far in 23 FIRs, according to the data from Punjab Police’s SIT constituted to probe US deportees cases.

On the other hand, some of these deportees who got the cases registered initially, have now also entered “compromise” with their agents after their money have been refunded, hence leaving Punjab Police in an embarrassing situation.

The return of 131 deportees and 23 FIRs against travel agents have literally opened a Pandora’s Box for Punjab Police, as deportees revealed how they travelled from one country to the other, leaving financial trails in multiple countries, to reach the US-Mexico border illegally. The 23 FIRs registered by Punjab Police find mention of at least 34 countries which the deportees traversed to reach the US. Adding to the complexity are several overseas agents and their middlemen (donkers) who made these deportees hop from one country to the other.

After reaching South America via Europe, Middle East or Africa, most deportees undertook the strenuous path via the Darien Gap- the only land route that connects South and North America- and crossed rainforests, mountains and several rivers by rickety boats, on foot and further by taxis/buses. From Brazil, they crossed several other countries illegally including Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama (jungles), Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before finally reaching the Mexico to cross the border.

Each deportee paid their agent anywhere from Rs 40 to 60 lakh to fulfil their American dream, only to be deported after the journeys that spanned three months to even over a year. Punjab deportees paid at least Rs 44.70 crore to the agents as per the initial data.

“Police said that go and search for the agent on your own”

Speaking to The Indian Express, the deportees who got the FIRs registered against their agent, said that while initially the ruling AAP government showed “all kind of sympathy”, now “nothing was being done by the police on the ground.”

“The minister (NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal) came at the airport to receive us and made all kinds of promises that once FIR is registered, police will retrieve our money from the agent. But after those photo ops, nothing has been done. Now, the police or other officials are not even answering our calls,” said a woman deportee from Ludhiana district, who paid Rs 45 lakh to the agent against whom the FIR has been registered by Khanna Police.

Mandeep Singh, a deportee from Tarn Taran district, said: “My agent is not only roaming freely in the area but is even threatening openly that no one can harm him, not even police. He has clearly refused to return my Rs 35 lakh but he is not being arrested.”

“Police told us that we should go and search for the agent on our own. If we had to find him on our own, what is the police for?,” said Baby Rani, wife of Sukhpal Singh, a deportee from Hoshiarpur district.

“Since the day, the FIR has been registered, I am only running from pillar to post and begging the police to arrest the agent but nothing is being done. Why this entire FIR drama was done if we had to do everything on our own,” said Jugraj Singh, a deportee from Batala.

“My agent is roaming free locally but policemen say they can’t find him,” said Harpreet Singh, a deportee from Batala.

Harjot Singh from Gurdaspur district, who along with his cousin paid Rs 80 lakh to the agent, and both were deported, said: “Two FIRs are registered against the agent but he is not being arrested. He doesn’t take our calls when we asked for our money back.”

Hardeep Kaur, whose husband Gurwinder Singh from Ludhiana district was arrested immediately after deportation from the US, said: “My husband was arrested for snatching case pending against him but the agent who duped us of Rs 69 lakh is not being arrested. Police said he is absconding.” “I had assumed that once FIR was done, police will arrest my agent immediately but it has backfired on me. Now neither he has been arrested, nor he is returning my money. He is now threatening me that since I have got the FIR registered, he won’t return a penny,” said another deportee.

“Took Rs 42 lakh, now offering Rs 3 lakh for compromise”

Some deportees have also entered “compromise” with the agents and do not want to proceed with the FIRs. Daler Singh, a deportee from Amritsar said: “The agent has returned half the amount (of Rs 60 lakh). Once the full amount is returned, we will get the FIR cancelled.”

Harwinder Singh from Hoshiarpur district said: “We have entered compromise with our agent via the NRI affairs committee of our village. We will get the FIR cancelled. Half of our money has been returned.”

Taranveer Singh from Mohali district said: “I paid Rs 42 lakh to the agent but he is offering me merely Rs 3 lakh for compromise. I will continue with the FIR till he doesn’t offer an agreeable amount.”

“My agent was arrested but he has returned Rs 30 lakh of the 50 lakh I had paid. We have agreed for the compromise via our village panchayat and the court will be informed the same,” said Davinder Singh, a deportee from Sangrur.

Jaswinder Singh, a Moga deportee, on whose complaint his agent cum BKU (Totewal) farm leader Sukh Gill was booked for fraud, said he too has reached “compromise” with him. “We will get FIR quashed as our money has been returned,” he said.

Only court can quash FIRs, probe will continue: ADGP Sinha

Punjab Police ADGP (NRI affairs) PK Sinha, who heads Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on US deportees probe, said that SSPs/CPs across the state have been directed to accelerate probes and make arrests in US deportees’ cases.

“Raids are being conducted regularly to arrest the accused who are based in Punjab. We will gradually try to reach the agents based abroad as probe will progress,” said the senior officer.

On some deportees entering “compromise” with the agents, he said: “Only the court can quash the FIR once registered. Police will continue with the probe in the FIRs.”