Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that a day after formation of a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Karnal Range, Bharti Arora, to investigate cases of immigration fraud and "kabootarbazi" (human trafficking) in the State, three more victims on Wednesday came out at police station concerned to register an FIR against the travel agent.
So far a total of 76 such cases have been registered at different Police Stations of the State. Most of those deported from the US claimed that they were victims of "kabootarbazi" (human trafficking). Home Minister said that the SIT will thoroughly investigate and take action in all cases related to sending people abroad through illegal means and human trafficking.
76 Haryana residents who were deported from the US were part of a group of over 160 Indians who arrived at Amritsar in Punjab on a special chartered flight on May 19. Vij said that there is zero tolerance to such frauds. "We will ensure culprits are brought to book. SIT will not only probe present cases of immigration fraud, but will also find out the links of cases of immigration frauds registered in the past," he said.
Experiences shared by some deportees are really touching and their families had put everything at stake. These people are almost on the road now, he said, adding that other members of the team are IPS officers Nazneen Bhasin, Rahul Sharma, Himanshu Garg, Lokendra Singh, Shashank Kumar and Mohit Handa.
Sources said that some of them had been subject to brutal treatment and torture inside the detention centres in the US and before being caught by police. Some of them were arrested before even reaching US.
Those who are sent abroad through illegal means often have pitiable tales to narrate as they are taken through dangerous routes and face torture along the way. Most of the deported Indian nationals had entered the US from its southern border with Mexico, after exhausting all legal options. They were arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE while trying to enter the US illegally.