A 23-year-old youth from Baba Nand Singh Nagar had to spend 15 days in a jail in England besides enduring a severe mental trauma after being sent abroad on forged documents, police officials have said.
The victim, Manpreet Singh, was later deported to India where his family claims to have spent lakhs of rupees on legal help and medical treatment. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Shauki, a resident of Rurka village in Jalandhar. He allegedly collected ₹10.5 lakh from the victim’s family, promising to arrange a work permit in England.
Manpreet’s father Pyara Singh, a retired insurance employee, said the money paid to the accused came from his retirement benefits. He alleged that his own brother (victim’s uncle) had introduced them to Shauki, who convinced the family with claims of successfully sending several villagers abroad.
The accused arranged for Manpreet’s travel in October 2024. “My son reached England on October 22, but the very next day his tourist visa expired. Since all the documents were fake and the email IDs were also controlled by the agent, my son didn’t realise it,” said Pyara Singh.
Stranded abroad, Manpreet managed to survive for about a month in a hotel at his own expense. In November, British authorities caught him during verification checks, found his documents fake and lodged him in jail for 15 days.
Spent lakhs on rescue and treatment
The distraught father said he immediately hired a lawyer in England at his own expense, spending nearly ₹5 lakh to secure his son’s release, apart from another ₹1 lakh on his return ticket. “My son returned alive. But the ordeal left him deeply disturbed,” he said.
Back home, Manpreet slipped into depression and had to be admitted to the DMC Hospital for nearly a month, with the family spending another ₹1.5 lakh on treatment.
The victim alleged that when he confronted his uncle about the money, he was first assured of repayment. “Later, he flatly refused to return the money,” Manpreet said. After that the family lodged a complaint with the police in March. Following investigation, the Sadar police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Section 24 of the Immigration Act against Shauki and launched a search for his arrest.
Officials said the case highlights the dangers of trusting unscrupulous travel agents who exploit families with dreams of sending their children abroad. “We are investigating the matter and the accused will be brought to justice,” said ASI Davinder Singh, who is investigating the case.
