‘Abducted’ in Mexico, family seeks son’s safe release

A former police officer, Shaminder Singh, a resident of Baba Bidhi Chand Colony near the Goindwal Sahib bypass in Tarn Taran, has not only lost Rs 42 lakh to travel agents in his attempt to settle his son Jagjit Singh in the United States, but now faces the agony of his son being held by “abductors” in Mexico for over a year. He pleaded that he has been desperately trying to contact his son.

Shaminder Singh had approached travel agent Mandeep Singh, a resident of Shakti Nagar, Jalandhar, and his associate Ramandeep Singh, alias Rocky Asaram, of Safidon in Haryana’s Jind district, two years ago to arrange for his son’s direct passage to the US. He paid Rs 14 lakh in advance and subsequently transferred the remaining amount via UPI.

However, in August last year, the accused instead sent Jagjit Singh to Mexico, where he reportedly fell into the custody of the “abductors”. Sharing their ordeal on Sunday, Jagjit Singh’s 65-year-old father and mother Kulwinder Kaur said their only wish is to secure the safe release of their son, who has been detained in Mexico for more than a year.

They said they had repeatedly contacted travel agent Mandeep Singh and his assistant Ramandeep “Roki,” who continued to demand more money. Despite being a retired police officer, Shaminder Singh had to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get a case registered.

Following the High Court’s directions, the local police registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Punjab Travel Professionals Act, 2014, on Saturday.