15 Indians, Including 9 From Punjab, Deported From Australia; Questioned In Delhi
Deported Indians questioned in Delhi as Punjab launches probe into illegal migration and document networks.
Fifteen Indian nationals, including nine from Punjab, were deported from Australia and arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Thursday, where they were taken into custody and questioned by authorities. The group was later handed over to police, with a Punjab Police team escorting the nine individuals from the state back to their respective districts.
According to official sources, the deportees are between 25 and 45 years old. Of the 15 individuals, nine belong to various districts in Punjab, including Moga, Khanna, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Ropar, and Ferozepur. The remaining deportees include one individual each from Haryana and Uttarakhand, and two from Telangana. Authorities indicated that two individuals originally expected to be deported did not arrive with the group.
The deportees were identified as Satinderjit Singh Shergill (31), Jaswant Singh (34), Angrej Singh (32), Harpreet Singh, Jaspreet Singh (37), Jagjit Singh Sidhu (35), Ranjit Singh (25), another Harpreet Singh, and Shruti Sharma (45), among others. Officials noted that Sharma had initially travelled abroad in 2008 and had overstayed her visa. The group also includes Rahul (31) from Haryana, Kanwaljit Singh (27) from Uttarakhand, and Samiuddin Khaja (41) and Abdullah Saleh Bhahatab (31) from Telangana.
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Upon arrival, immigration authorities at the Delhi airport completed the necessary documentation procedures. The deportees were reportedly questioned for nearly five hours by central agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding their travel and stay in Australia, including the validity of their documents and any potential involvement of intermediaries or agents facilitating illegal migration.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that the state government would investigate how the deportees obtained their travel documents and identify any networks involved in facilitating such migration. He added that the Ministry of External Affairs may be consulted if required, emphasizing that the matter would be pursued thoroughly to uncover any wrongdoing.
Mann also underscored the importance of ensuring a dignified return and reintegration for the deportees while addressing the broader systemic issues that contribute to illegal migration. Authorities are expected to continue their investigation into possible document fraud and human trafficking links, as concerns grow over the persistence of unauthorized migration channels from parts of India.
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