28 migrants duped in lieu of being ferried to West Bengal

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, May 21

Around 28 migrants hailing from West Bengal have moved to the police accusing four people, including a bus driver, of fleecing them of Rs 1.40 lakhs on the pretext of sending them back home.

An FIR has been registered at Bajghera police station in this regard.

The migrants claimed that Azad Ali, Sultan Ali, Kaba and Rafeek were told that the bus had a permit but were decanted by the police on the road in wee hours on Thursday.

The driver in possession of a valid movement pass was, however, not allowed to go.

“They took Rs 5,000 per person from us and got a total of 1.40 lakhs. The bus driver said he was allowed to ferry people home in the bus. Trusting him, we gave the money and boarded the bus from Sarai Alavardi. It was around 3 am, however, when we reached the Dwarka expressway, the police stopped the bus and got us down saying we were traveling illegally. They told us the driver had a movement pass but not the permission to ferry passengers. He was allowed to go and could not be contacted,” read the complaint filed by Mahabul Haq, one of the migrants.

The migrants were taken to the police by social worker Jai Singh Punia, who saw them stranded on road.

A case has been registered against four people under Sections 420 (Cheating), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC and Section 51-B of the Disaster Management Act at Bajghera police station.

“The migrants who live across the city consisted primarily of maids, who being out of work, are going back to their native towns but were duped. We are conducting raids to nab the accused,” said the investigating officer.

Police beef up security at border’s entry point; send 600 migrants trying to cross border back

A day after the clash between the police and migrant workers at the Delhi border in Palam Vihar, Gurugram police have beefed up the security at border’s entry point. The police sent back around 600 migrants posing as workers, even while they were trying to enter on Thursday. They were offered the option of getting a one-time pass and live in the lodgings provided by the industries, but majority of them insisted on being allowed to cross the border daily.

Meanwhile, the MCG had closed an illegal way from Salahpur village after making a permanent wall. Only essential services are being allowed at the border.

“Security has been tightened at the borders and we are not allowing migrants without passes. They are not allowed to cross the border daily as per the restrictions under the guidelines of COVID-19,” said Birem Singh Poswal, ACP, Udyog.