14 Days of Hell: Gurvinder reveals shocking torture in Army camp

Gurdaspur (The Uttam Hindu): A total of 112 Indians were deported from the United States and arrived at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport in Amritsar late on Sunday night. Among them was Gurvinder Singh son of Harbhajan Singh from Nangal Lamin village in Gurdaspur district whose return left his mother in deep sorrow but also brought relief that he was home safely. Gurvinder Singh revealed that he had paid ₹50 lakh to an agent for illegal entry into the U.S. via the "donkey route." To arrange the money his family sold 1.5 acres of land and took a ₹10 lakh loan. Leaving home on September 22 with dreams of a better future he was misled by the agent, who initially promised air travel but instead forced him to trek through the dangerous Panama jungle. Passing through Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia, he reached the U.S. border on February 1 where he was immediately arrested by the American Border Patrol. He was detained in a military camp for 14 days before being deported on February 14.

Recalling his harrowing journey Gurvinder described the mistreatment he faced while crossing the jungle in a group of 23 people. The "donkeys" (human smugglers) treated them poorly and they survived on chips and dirty water while trekking through forests, mountains and rivers. He risked his life crossing rivers in a small boat and documented parts of the journey on video. He urged others never to attempt the Panama jungle route to reach America.

During his 14-day detention, Gurvinder alleged that he was subjected to harsh treatment including being forced to bathe at night and being kept in air-conditioned rooms without clothes. On February 15 he was informed of his deportation and by February 16 he was flown back to India. He was shackled throughout the flight and his handcuffs were removed only half an hour before landing. Upon arrival Sikh deportees were provided with head coverings by the SGPC as they had lost their turbans during detention. His father, Harbhajan Singh, lamented the financial and emotional toll of the ordeal, stating that he had sacrificed his land and taken on debt to secure his son's future only to be deceived. He had raised concerns with the agent upon learning of the Panama jungle route but was reassured that the journey would take only 20 days. Communication with Gurvinder was sporadic, as his phone was sometimes taken away. Upon hearing of his son's deportation on Sunday Harbhajan demanded strict action against the fraudulent agent.