Two more flights from the US carrying illegal Indian immigrants landed at Amritsar Airport on February 15 and February 16. While the flight that landed on February 15 carried 116 Indians, the flight that landed on February 16 carried 112 Indians. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had made arrangements for food and accommodations for the deportees. He also raised objections over the landing of US Military flight at Amritsar Airport and not other airports of India. CM Mann also slammed PM Modi and took a dig at PM Modi saying America sending Indians in shackles as 'Gift from Trump'. In the meanwhile, a picture went viral on social media when a man deported from the US landed at Amritsar Airport and was seen without his turban.
The man without turban was identified as Mandeep. Mandeep was among the 116 Indians deported from the US on Saturday (15 February) night. The viral picture suggested that his hair had been tampered with. After the photo went viral, Mandeep addressed the media.
He revealed that he has served in the Indian Army. After retirement, he went to America spending all his earnings (Rs 40 lakhs). After this, he also got into a debt of Rs 14 lakhs. When he reached America, the Army arrested him there. His turban was removed and thrown in the dustbin. His beard and hair were also cut. When he was being brought to India, on the way, he was given only a fruity, apple and a packet of Lays (chips), but he did not eat them. There was a fear that US authorities on board might not let him go to the toilet, so he drank only water.
How did Mandeep enter the US via Donkey Route?
Mandeep Singh informed the media, "I served in the Indian Army for 17 years. I got Rs 35 lakh during retirement. He decided to go to America. I raised some money by selling my wife's jewellery. The travel agent demanded Rs 40 lakh. After this, the agent asked me to give Rs 14 lakh rupees more. I said that, 'I don't have money, so the agent refused to send me'."
"Last year on 13th August, I left home to go to the US. From Amritsar to Delhi, from Delhi to Mumbai, via Kenya, Dakar, and Amsterdam, I reached Suriname. I reached there by flight. After this, I travelled from Suriname to America by car or on foot through the jungles of Guyana, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama."
"To go to America, sometimes I hid in cars and sometimes I wandered in the jungles for four days. The donkey agents behaved inhumanly throughout the way. My friends and I were left in a boat amidst 30-30 feet-high waves," said Mandeep.
Mandeep further revealed, "Somehow he saved his life and escaped from there. Such treatment on the way was very painful. When he was on the way, he got only Maggi to eat for more than 70 days. He survived on that the whole way. When he crossed the jungles and the entire route, he entered America."
'When I stopped them from cutting hair, the officers did not listen', reveals Mandeep
Mandeep further shared some disturbing facts and said, "The army officers took off my turban and threw it in the dustbin. They cut my beard and hair. I asked the officers not to do this, but they did not listen to me. They cut my hair short. After the arrest, I was kept in the camp. They put shackles on my feet and handcuffs on my hands. After this, I left from there without clothes."