4 from Punjab, among 12 Indians, deported from Panama reach Amritsar

The four people from Punjab have been identified as Maninder Dutt, 23, from Jalandhar, Jatinder Singh, 34, from Patiala, and Jugraj Singh, 33, and Harpreet Singh, 30, both from Gurdaspur.

According to preliminary reports from Indian authorities, the four men had entered South America through European countries, including the Netherlands and Spain. Three of them then entered Surinam, Guyana in South America and then went to Columbia from where they entered Panama while one went to El Salvador directly from Spain.

Confirming their arrival, a senior police officer said they arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport here from Delhi via a commercial flight.

The officer added that they all had paid huge amounts to illegal travel agents to facilitate their ‘dunki’ travel. While Maninder Dutt paid Rs 42 lakh to a New Delhi-based agent, Jatinder paid Rs 52 lakh to a Patiala-based agent, and Jugraj Singh and Harpreet Singh each paid Rs 38 lakh to a Batala-based agent.

Another senior police officer said that the deportees are yet to file a police complaint. “They are discussing the matter with their families. Some of them may not take legal action if the agents return their money,” the officer said.

Earlier, three batches of illegal Indian immigrants were brought back from the US in a military aircraft on February 5, 15 and 16 amid a crackdown by the Donald Trump government against illegal immigrants.

Over 300 Indians have already been deported to India by the US in three different flights this month.

India has been maintaining that it will take back all Indians who have either overstayed in the US or are there without documentation after their nationality is verified.

“It is the obligation of all nations to take back their nationals, if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament on February 6.

“This is naturally subject to an unambiguous verification of their nationality. This is not a policy applicable to any specific country, nor indeed one only practised by India. It is a general accepted principle in international relations,” he had said.

Many people from Punjab and other states, who entered the US through “dunki routes” or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees — are now facing deportation.

The landing of US military aircraft carrying illegal Indian immigrants at the Amritsar airport had triggered sharp reactions from several political leaders in Punjab. CM Bhagwant Mann had questioned the Centre’s move to land planes bringing deportees at Amritsar airport, accusing it of trying to defame Punjab under a conspiracy.

Mann had even asked the central government not to make the holy city a “deport centre”. He had also said that deportation was a national problem, but it was being made to appear that only Punjabis migrate illegally.