A month after four Indians found were dead at US-Canada border, Gujarat Police book three agents
The bodies of the four persons were found in a Mohawk territory between the US-Canada border on March 30 as they were trying to enter America illegally.
The Gujarat Police on Wednesday booked three agents for their alleged involvement in illegal immigration over a month after four members of a family from the Mehsana district died while trying to cross over into the United States from Canada, PTI reported.
The bodies of the four persons were found in a marsh in Akwesasne, a Mohawk territory between the US-Canada border on March 30. They were identified as Pravinbhai Chaudhary, his wife Daksha, their son Meet and daughter Vidhi.
Four others were also found dead in the marsh. All of them were believed to have been attempting to enter the United States from Canada without travel documents.
The Mehsana Police on Wednesday filed a case against the agents – Nikulsinh Vihol, Sachin Vihol and Arjunsinh Chavda – under provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Police Inspector JS Rabari said that the agents took Rs 60 lakh from the relatives of those who died and forced the family to take a boat to cross the St Lawrence river on the United States-Canada border amid turbulent weather. The official said that the family died as the boat capsised.
The complaint was filed by Pravinbhai’s brother Ashvinbhai, according to PTI. He told the police that the family travelled to Canada on February 3, claiming they were on a vacation.
According to the complaint, Nikulsinh – who had known Pravinbhai for some time – called him and offered to send the family to the United States with the help of his connections. Pravinbhai then asked his brother to arrange for Rs 60 lakh and give the money to Nikulsinh.
The complaint stated that Nikulsinh and Arjunsinh took the money on March 23, while Sachin was in Canada to arrange for the family’s travel to the United States.
As per the first information report, the accused persons told the complainant that the family would cross the border in a taxi, but they later got them to sit in a boat on which they were to cross the St Lawrence river.