Harbhajan Singh Sucha, one of the agents accused of facilitating illegal travel of youths, in Bholath police custody.
KAPURTHALA – The Kapurthala police today arrested unauthorised travel agents Harbhajan Singh Sucha of Bhatnura Lubhana village and Kulwinder Singh Multani of Bhogpur following reports that at least 21 Punjabi youths travelling in a boat headed for the US from Panama had drowned. The two agents were booked under the Immigration Act yesterday.
Arpit Shukla, IG, Jalandhar Zone, claimed that only one of the youths on the boat, Jaswinder Singh alias Sonu of Laroi village, had survived. He had called up his father Harjinder Singh back home and informed him about the incident.
The police, he said, were yet to identity the remaining victims. They were on the lookout for a third agent, believed to be a resident of Dayalpur village.
Police sources said the capsized boat was carrying passengers more than its capacity. Meant to hold not more than 10, it was carrying at least 21 persons.
Aggrieved parents alleged that agent Multani had earlier sent many youths to the US via the sea route.
Police said they had information that certain agents were deliberately taking the sea route as it resulted in a fatter commission per person, as compared to the land and air routes. Sources said Multani first learnt of the incident from a contact in Bajajan village. The latter told him that while his batch of boys had survived, Multani’s boys had all drowned.
“Time and again we have nabbed unauthorised agents who have a presence in the region. Despite dissuading people not to send youths abroad through shady agents, they continue to do so. The police are examining the role of more agents in the racket,” the IG said.
He did not rule out the involvement of five or more persons.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has set up a control room at the Civil Secretariat to keep families of the boat tragedy victims informed. The helpline numbers are 0172-2740397 and 2740859. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has urged the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister to send a team to the US.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said he was in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and had asked the Chief Secretary to liaise. Sukhbir Badal asked the Centre to expose those behind human trafficking.
