Haryana family spent Rs 1.2 crore to reach US, deported back in 12 days

A resident of Haibatpur village of Kurukshetra district, Paramjeet Singh, 45, has lodged a complaint against three travel agents: Salinder Bhura, a resident of Kirmach village; Jinda, a resident of Kaithal; and Rinku, a resident of Thanesar (Thanesar) and their unknown accomplices. The police have lodged an FIR against them under the charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, human trafficking and under provisions of the Immigration Act.

Paramjit Singh had settled at Kurukshetra to ensure better study of his children. After some time, in May 2024, he met the travel agents. According to Paramjit, the travel agents offered to send the family to the US by promising a job to him and better education to his children. On May 21, 2024, the passports of Paramjit, his wife Omi Devi, daughter Kajal Kainwal, son Jatin Kainwal and Rs 1.5 lakh were handed over to the travel agents.

To arrange more money, Paramjit sold his house for Rs 74 lakh in June 2024. In August 2024, he gave Rs 8 lakh to the travel agents while a payment of Rs 40 lakh was made on December 18, 2024. The agents said that the remaining Rs 70 lakh will be charged once they reach America.

On December 21, 2024, they took a flight from Delhi airport to Rome from where they went to Paris and landed in Costa Rica on December 27, 2024. After 15 days, they reached Mexico by road.

In the FIR, Paramjit alleged that in Mexico, they were lodged in a room and were tortured. He said the associates of the travel agents asked him to make a call to their relatives in Haryana to make the payment of the remaining money (Rs 70 lakh). “Our phones and passports were snatched and we were beaten up badly. We were kept hungry. On January 15, I called my cousin to make a payment of Rs 70 lakh to the travel agents and the same was made to them the next day,” said Paramjit in the police complaint.

According to Paramjit, on January 22, 2025, they were taken to the US border. “As soon as we crossed the US border, the American police took us into custody and we were lodged in the jail. We were tortured in America too. We were sent back to India on February 5,” Paramjit said.

Paramjit told the police that he made a phone call to travel agent Salinder Bhura after landing in India but he did not pick up the phone.

The investigation officer (IO), Sub-Inspector Rampal, told The Indian Express that the police were investigating the matter but no arrest has been made so far. Till now, the Haryana Police has lodged at least five FIRs against the travel agents.