US deportation of Indians: one travel agent arrested from Patiala
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ February 15,2025
In a significant development in the ongoing crackdown against fraudulent immigration consultants, the NRI Affairs wing of Punjab Police has arrested travel agent Anil Batra, one of the four accused in the illegal immigration scam case. Working on the directions of the 4 member SIT headed by ADGP NRI Affairs, Praveen Sinha, the arrest was made by a team led by Inspector Abhey Singh Chauhan, SHO PS NRI Patiala, under the close supervision of SP NRI Affairs Patiala, Gurbans Singh Bains.
Anil Batra, a resident of Shanti Nagar, Teka Market, Thanesar, Kurukshetra, Haryana, was apprehended from his in-laws’ residence in Patiala (5-E Partap Nagar). He is charged in FIR No. 06, dated February 8, 2025,lodged at NRI police station, Patiala under sections 406, 420, 370, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 24 of the Emigration Act.
The court remanded the accused travel agent to 3 days police remand in the illegal immigration scam case.
Batra is accused of facilitating the illegal immigration process by arranging a Suriname visa and ticket for the complainant. Once in Suriname, the victim Gurwinder Singh travelled overland to other countries in South America, such as Brazil or Colombia, where he crossed into Central America. In Central American he travelled through countries, such as Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Here, he crossed into the USA illegally, with the help of traffickers and smugglers. As of February 14, 2025, Anil Batra’s bank account has been frozen with a balance of INR 6,35,136.10.
A 4-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) had earlier been established by Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, to probe complaints of fraudulent travel agents involved in deceptive immigration practices. The SIT has been working to encourage the deported individuals to come forth and assist it in ensuring that those violating the laws are submitted to the majesty of the law.
DGP Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, reiterated the Punjab Police’s commitment to dismantling these criminal networks and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation. He urged the public to come forward with any information that could assist in apprehending culprits against whom cases have been registered. Additionally, the DGP advised citizens to only approach licensed agents for immigration services and verify their credentials thoroughly to avoid falling prey to scams.
