Deadly dispute turns to murder as two brothers flee to the U.S.

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): On Saturday night, 116 Indians returned to Punjab's Amritsar airport on a flight from America. Among them, two brothers, Sandeep and Pradeep, were arrested by the Patiala Police. The brothers had been implicated in a murder case registered on June 25, 2023, in Rajpura, Patiala. The police are set to produce them in court today for remand. This is the first case among the returning passengers where a criminal record was revealed, and an arrest was made.

According to the FIR, on June 25, 2023, Hasmukh, a resident of village Dhindsa, had a confrontation with fruit sellers near the grain market. Sandeep and Pradeep, at Hasmukh's request, arrived at the scene with swords, and during the altercation, a youth named Sarwan Singh was killed. The brothers fled to America using the "donkey route" shortly after the incident.

The family of the accused, however, maintains that the brothers were falsely implicated. Satnam Singh, a family member, claimed that Rs 1.20 crore had been spent to send the brothers to America. He said that the agent promised a clean route but instead sent them through the jungle. He also stated that the brothers were framed because their names were linked to a car that had been recovered from their house.

In a related development, the Punjab government has initiated a crackdown on illegal immigration agents. In an effort to combat fraud, authorities have decided to seal the properties of agents and immigration owners involved in such activities. The police have been directed to compile a list of travel agents, and the government aims to seize properties acquired through deceptive practices. Additionally, lookout notices have been issued against more than 3,200 travel agents across Punjab.