Agent charged Rs 45 lakh, got power of attorney issued against five acres

It took over two years for Daljit Singh to reach the United States through the “dunki route”, only to be sent back to India on a flight carrying deportees from that country.

The family of 42-year-old Daljit, a resident of Kurala Kalan village in Hoshiarpur’s Tanda block, said the travel agent initially charged them Rs 45 lakh to send him to the US on a “direct flight” to that country from New Delhi over two years ago.

Daljit’s family members alleged that the travel agent later asked for extra money. As they were unable to shell out extra amount, the agent got a general power of attorney issued against five acres of their agriculture land, the family said.

The agent told the family about a month and half ago that Daljit had reached the US, though he had not been able to talk to his family since then.

Daljit Singh's wife Kamalpreet Kaur said the travel agent duped them by promising that Daljit would be sent to the US on a “direct flight”.

The family demanded from the Punjab Government that their land

be returned and appropriate action taken against

the agent. Village sarpanch Jarnail Singh said the family was “deceived” by the travel agent, who gave them false hopes of a bright future in the US. "I appeal to the Punjab Government that strict action be taken against the agent and the land of the victim family be returned to them,” he said.