Transporters in Punjab trafficking migrants

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Mansa, June 14

The Mansa district police today arrested six bus drivers for trafficking brickkiln labourers to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh on fake curfew passes. The bus company owners, Surinder Kumar, Harminder Singh, Balkaran Singh and Manpreet Singh, all residents of Mansa, have been booked. SSP Narinder Bhargav said the fake passes were purportedly issued by the authorities in Bathinda. He said the migrants — including 150 men, 80 women and 115 children — were provided drinking water, breakfast and lunch. They had paid a hefty sum to be ferried back to their home state.

The police later arranged buses with valid passes for the migrants who left for their onward journey after a health check-up, SSP Bhargav added.

A case has been filed with the Sardulgarh police station against Paramjeet Singh, Bunty Seth and Jasbir Singh of Bus Transport Noor Chahal, Gomy Singh of Jogi Peer Bus Transport, Balbir Singh of Sohal Bus Service and Amrik Singh of Bhai Behlo Bus Service under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B, 269 and 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

Two buses impounded in Amloh

Fatehgarh Sahib: Two buses carrying migrant labourers were intercepted in Mandi Gobindgarh on Sunday. The SDM (Amloh), AS Sharma, said one of the buses was carrying 30 migrants. The driver claimed he had ferried them from Purnia district in Bihar. The other bus, carrying migrants from Ambala, had dropped 15 labourers at Sirhind. OC