‘Took Rs 1.40 crore but sent us via illegal dunki route’: Punjab Police ASI, his travel agent brother booked for US immigration fraud

Inspector Beant Juneja, incharge, crime branch, Ludhiana Police, said that the Punjab Police ASI identified as Sarabjit Singh has been arrested. “He is currently serving in Kapurthala Police,” said the inspector. ASI’s brother Daljit Singh alias Don, a travel agent, is absconding. The brothers belong to Nadala village of Kapurthala district. Their accomplice Jai Jagat Joshi is also absconding, said police.

The FIR in the matter has been registered at Ludhiana’s Model Town police station on the complaint of Gurkaran Singh of Ludhiana who had “loaned” Rs 10 lakh to his friend Akashvir Singh to pay the agents.

A purported video in which the accused can be seen counting the bundles of cash has also been submitted to the police with the complaint, says the FIR.

Complainant Gurkaran Singh said: “I am Akashvir’s friend. I filed the complaint as the deal was finalized and Rs 90 lakh given to the accused at my residence in Ludhiana. One of the accused who collected cash at my house was the ASI.”

Gurkaran Singh is the husband of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s ward number 53 councillor Mehak Tinna.

Asked from where did he arrange Rs 1.40 crore to pay to the agents, Akashvir said: “I am into agriculture and I own 35 acres of land. I also practise contractual farming on another 80 acres. My family also has a loan of Rs 1.50 crore raised from different sources.”

“Seeing photos of my several friends who have moved abroad, I was also lured to go US”

“I only wanted a better future for my children. Most of my friends and relatives had already moved abroad and I was lured by seeing their photographs. Earlier, I had also applied for study and visitor visa for the US but they were rejected so this time I had contacted agent Daljit Singh alias Don for a work permit,” said Akashvir.

Akashvir said that he along with his wife, and two children- a daughter and a son aged 5 and 2- had reached the US illegally via the Mexico border on September 10, 2023 where they were immediately held by the border police. “For at least a year and half, we kept fighting our case with the US border authorities which ordered us to leave the country. We reached India on June 22 this year and landed at Amritsar airport,” said Akashvir.

“Instead of the promised legal entry and the US work permit, we were sent to the US via an illegal dunki route and my two small children survived on boiled rice. We were made to board a flight for Dubai from Amritsar on August 7, 2023 and further taken to El Salvador. By then, my family back home had already paid Rs 90 lakh to the agent and his brother. Even as the deal was fixed for Rs 90 lakh, the accused then extorted Rs 50 lakh more from my family after reaching El Salvador as they were threatened with dire consequences. Later we were taken to the US-Mexico border and made to cross illegally,” said Akashvir.

“To survive in the US for over a year, I did odd jobs such as working in a store and food delivery. After some days, the US authorities released us and I stayed with my sister in California. Even then I kept calling these agents to arrange for my work permit but they stopped picking my calls. Ultimately we were told to leave the country,” said Akashvir.

“I wanted to go to the US for the better future of my children but the kind of harassment they faced in the past one year cannot be put in words. We demand immediate arrest of Daljit Singh alias Don who extorted money from us impersonating as a travel agent,” said Akashvir.

Inspector Juneja said that the arrested cop Sarabjit Singh was being interrogated. “He has revealed that his brother Daljit is already booked in 7-8 FIRs previously for cheating, assault etc. We are probing the matter. The Kapurthala Police will be informed to initiate departmental action against the ASI,” said the inspector.

The FIR in the case has been registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 240 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (conspiracy) of IPC and section 13 of Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act at Model Town police station against the trio.