Kapurthala police have registered a case against two travel agents after a man alleged that he was cheated of Rs 47.65 lakh and illegally sent to the United States through a dangerous route, leading to his arrest, detention and eventual deportation after seven months.
According to the complaint, Jagatar Singh of Jainpur village told Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora that his relative Joga Singh of Masitan village, who works as a travel agent, promised to send him to the United States on a direct flight. In July 2024, the deal was finalised for Rs 50 lakh, with the agent assuring that the amount would be taken after the visa was approved. Jagatar Singh alleged that his passport was taken and he was later shown a copy of the visa.
Between September 5 and the following days, Jagatar Singh said he paid Rs 47.65 lakh to Joga Singh and another agent, Jagjit Singh Bhullar of Jalandhar. On September 12, 2024, he was sent from Delhi to France. From there, his onward journey was arranged to Spain and then to El Salvador.
The complainant alleged that after reaching El Salvador, he was forced to pay one thousand dollars and was taken in a vehicle to an area outside Guatemala City. He was made to walk for several hours, later packed into a large vehicle with around sixty to seventy people and abandoned in a jungle. He claimed that he remained stranded in forest areas for nearly fifteen days.
Jagatar Singh said he then realised that he was being sent illegally to the United States. He alleged that despite requesting to be sent back to India due to tightened border enforcement after Donald Trump assumed office, the agents attempted to push him into the US through Mexico. During the border crossing, American authorities detained him and lodged him in a detention camp.
After spending seven months in custody, he was deported to India on July 18, 2025. On his return, Jagatar Singh alleged that when he asked for his money back, the accused initially avoided him, later refused to return the amount and allegedly threatened him.
Following legal consultation, police at Sultanpur Lodhi police station registered a case against Joga Singh and Jagjit Singh Bhullar under BNS 13 and the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2014. No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is underway.