Ex-serviceman forced to shave beard by agents

Ex-serviceman Mandeep Singh, 38, allegedly suffered torture on his way to the US and was forced to shave his beard by “donkers” — illegal immigration agents operating in foreign countries. A resident of Palm Garden Colony here, Mandeep was among the second batch of 117 Indians deported by the US on February 15.

Mandeep said he had left home for the US on August 13 last year and was arrested by the US border patrol on January 27 while entering from Mexico. Narrating his woes, Mandeep said “donkers” had locked him in a room for three days and made him shave his beard if he wanted to proceed further as they said keeping it would have caught the attention of law enforcing agencies.

The agents charged him around Rs 50 lakh for the trip to the US. “I lost all my money. Due to some financial problem in my family, I had decided to go abroad for a bright future,” he said.