In a distressing turn of events, a 26-year-old youth from Pathankot, Jagmeet Singh, finds himself stranded in the jungles of Panama after being promised the “great American dream” by travel agents in Kahnuwan. Sold the dream for Rs 45 lakh, Jagmeet was assured of a direct flight to the US but ended up taking the perilous ‘Donkey route’ through Panama, where unscrupulous agents often force individuals to navigate steep mountains and vast swamps before attempting to enter the US.
Pathankot police have registered a criminal case against Parminder Singh and his wife Balwinder Kaur, the travel agents based in Kahnuwan. Jagmeet’s parents had been guaranteed a direct flight for their son but discovered that he was compelled to take the dangerous route through Panama. The case is being investigated by SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon, who is exploring potential links to the Nicaragua-bound ‘Donkey route‘ flight intercepted in France on December 26. The FIR includes charges under Sections 420 (cheating), 346 (wrongful confinement), and Section 24 of the Emigration Act.
Jagmeet’s last contact with his parents was on December 19 when his location was traced to the jungles of Panama. The police are examining digital footprints to pinpoint his exact location. The youth had expressed a desire to work in the US, leading his father to engage the Kahnuwan-based couple, known for sending people abroad through the risky ‘Donkey route‘ at a hefty cost.
Joginder Singh, Jagmeet’s father, revealed that a deal was settled for Rs 45 lakh, with an advance payment of Rs 15 lakh. Despite reassurances from the agent that Jagmeet had boarded a flight to Guyana for a safe journey to the US, he later communicated that he was being forced to fly to Panama from Delhi. In a distressing call on December 19, Jagmeet revealed his location in the jungles of Panama, expressing fear and distress.
The agent couple allegedly prepared new passports with a Ghaziabad address and are suspected to have fled to a foreign country before the FIR was filed. The investigation aims to uncover the circumstances of Jagmeet’s journey and bring the agents to justice for cheating and wrongful confinement.
