Surat, Mar 11 (PTI) Police have launched a probe on a complaint filed by US deportee and Haryana native Pankaj Rawat, who detailed a harrowing tale of shattered dreams and exploitation by travel agents extracting Rs 35 lakh and sending him on a hazardous journey through 11 countries on illegal 'Dunki' route.
In his complaint, Rawat accused two agents -- Abdulla and Pradeep -- of human trafficking and fraud, prompting the Surat crime branch to initiate an investigation to uncover details.
The 'dunki' route is synonymous with hazardous and illegal migration opted by human traffickers which often leads hopeful migrants through dangerous territories in a desperate bid to enter Western countries, especially the US.
Rawat, a native of Panipat, spent six months traversing 11 countries. He had paid Rs 35 lakh to the two agents for what he believed would be a smooth route to the United States, only to be apprehended by U.S. authorities and sent back to India in February.
In a formal complaint lodged with Gujarat Police, Rawat, 36, accused the agents of human trafficking and fraud.
According to police, Abdulla and Pradeep promised Rawat employment and accommodation in the USA in exchange for a hefty sum. They took him through a treacherous journey involving multiple countries, which ultimately ended in his deportation.
"Based on Rawat's complaint, the police have launched an investigation," a Surat crime branch official said on Tuesday.
Rawat's ordeal began in August 2024 and led him through Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico, before he finally entered the USA through the Tecate border.
His American dreams were shattered when he was caught by US authorities and detained for 15 days before being sent back to India in February.
"As per a pre-planned conspiracy, the agents - Abdulla and Pradeep - sent the complainant abroad promising him work and accommodation in the USA, and took Rs 35 lakh from him," the FIR stated.
The complaint filed by Rawat alleges that accomplices of the agents held him hostage in various countries, threatened his life, and seized his passport and mobile SIM card.
He was transported through dangerous jungles, kept in unsafe conditions, and subjected to physical assault and mental abuse during his journey.
Rawat initially came into contact with Abdulla through an office located at Hojiwala industrial area in Surat. Abdulla, promising a better life in the US, convinced Rawat to take the illegal 'donkey route and made him part with Rs 35 lakh, as per the FIR.
Rawat initially paid Rs 20 lakh from his savings and took a loan for the remaining Rs 15 lakh, which he handed over to Abdulla in January 2024 at a location in Delhi's Ashok Vihar.
Abdulla told the victim that he had sent several persons illegally to the USA and ensured that they got jobs as well as proper accommodation there. For the service, Abdulla charged him Rs 35 lakh.
His journey began on August 6, 2024, with a flight from Mumbai to Guyana. He was asked to contact another accused, Pradeep, through WhatsApp on a mobile number provided to him, the FIR said.
After landing at Timari Airport in Guyana, he was taken through various dangerous routes, including taxi rides through jungles, and was forced to stay in substandard conditions.
Abdulla's aide seized the complainant's passport and SIM and sent him to Brazil on a taxi through a dangerous jungle. Rawat stayed in Brazil for 10 days before being sent to Peru on a bus, and further to Ecuador on a cab.
"In Ecuador, Abdulla's aide held Rawat hostage for around 25 days before sending him to Colombia, where he was made to stay in a house in Monteria for around four months," the FIR stated.
Despite multiple excuses given for the delays, Rawat demanded his money back but was met with threats.
"After the complainant demanded his money back, the agent's aide threatened to kill him and refused to return a single penny," it said.
After four months, Rawat was finally taken through a dangerous forest and reached Panama city after eight days. He endured frequent beatings by his agent's aide for 10 days before being sent to Costa Rica.
His journey continued to Honduras on a bus and to Nicaragua and Guatemala, where he stayed for 15 days, as per the FIR.
From Guatemala, Rawat reached Mexico City where he stayed in a hotel for 15 days before he was moved to Hermosillo in Mexico on a taxi. After a 15-day stay, Rawat entered the USA through the Tecate border on February 1, 2025, where the agent's handlers took all his possessions.
As soon as he entered the US, the police nabbed him. He was detained with other Indians for 15 days, before being deported on a US Air Force aircraft. He reached Amritsar airport on February 16.
Surat crime branch police inspector, T B Pandya said the FIR was registered at Panipat in Haryana and transferred to the Surat crime branch for investigation because Rawat had worked in the Gujarat city.
"He had contacted the agents in Surat and paid them money. He reached the USA through the routes decided by the agents," Pandya said, adding that the crime branch had been in touch with Rawat since he was deported. PTI COR KA PD NP SKL NSK
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