Haryana minister Anil Vij’s driver duped of Rs 50 lakh on pretext of sending son to US, two booked
According to the complaint, the agents had promised to send the man’s son to the US legally but instead allegedly sent him through the 'donkey route' and facilitated his illegal entry into the country through Mexico
Police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly cheating the government driver of Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij of Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of sending his son to the US.
According to the complaint, the agents had promised to send the man’s son to the US legally but instead allegedly sent him through the “donkey route” and facilitated his illegal entry into the country through Mexico. The US authorities detained him, and he remained in a detention centre for around 14 months. He was deported by the US government in December 2025, following which his family came to know that they had allegedly been duped by the agents.
The agents subsequently assured the family that they would return the money, but allegedly failed to do so. The Old Industrial Area police have registered a case against the two accused under Sections 318(4), 316(2) and 3(5) of the BNS, and Section 24 of the Immigration Act, and have launched an investigation.
Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Gohana, stated in his complaint that he is posted as a driver at the residence of Anil Vij in Shastri Colony, Ambala Cantonment.
He said he came in contact with Manoj Kumar of Pillukhera through his brother-in-law, Sonu. Rakesh’s younger son, Navin Verma, is a mechanical engineering graduate. Manoj allegedly offered to facilitate Navin’s travel to the US. He subsequently introduced Rakesh to Kuldeep of Gopal Colony in Panipat, who was allegedly involved in sending people abroad.
A meeting was held at Kuldeep’s residence, where the deal was finalised for Rs 40 lakh. Rakesh’s elder son, Praveen Verma, allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh in cash to Kuldeep as an advance at his residence.
In October 2024, the agent allegedly visited Rakesh’s house in Gohana, collected Navin’s passport and demanded another Rs 10 lakh. The family allegedly paid the amount to him on Sanoli Road. Subsequently, Kuldeep and his associate Ashu allegedly demanded another Rs 8 lakh for the visa. According to the complaint, the family paid a total of Rs 50 lakh to the agents.
Navin boarded a flight to France on November 5, 2024, from where he was allegedly sent to Mexico. The agents then allegedly facilitated his illegal entry into the US through Mexico. The US authorities detained him, and he remained in a detention centre for around 14 months before being deported to India in December 2025.
After his deportation, the family confronted Kuldeep, and a panchayat was also held. During the meeting, Kuldeep allegedly promised to return the money within a month but failed to do so. When the family later demanded their money back, he allegedly threatened to kill them and implicate them in a false police case, the complaint stated.
Based on the complaint, the Old Industrial Area police registered a case against Kuldeep and Manoj Kumar under the relevant provisions of the BNS and Immigration Act. Further investigation is underway.
