In a significant development in the illegal immigrant racket, the US consulate in India has provided names of two agents, Sanjay Patel and Pravin alias Pallu Patel. They have nexus with Mexican agents identified as “Mekla” in Mehsana parlance.
The hunt for another agent called Munna is also on. Police teams are camping in Delhi and Punjab to catch Bobby Patel and Charanjit Singh.
Both are key accused in the case involving the illegal confinement of 15 prospective migrants in Kolkata and Delhi.
Munna had sent a family of four from Dingucha village of Kalol to Canada on a legal visa. However, Jagdish Patel, 35, his wife Vaishali and their two children aged 12 and 3 years froze to death while trying to cross illegally into the US.
The Canadian consulate has confirmed that the family had arrived in Canada on a legal visitor visa. After which, the consulate has been asked to provide documents submitted to get the visa.
Previously, two families had gone to Turkey on a legal visa to cross into the US in a different case. One family then reached Mexico on an arrival visa and crossed into the US.
However, the other family got a hint of a crackdown by US authorities in Turkey and changed their hotel.
The family then returned to India. When the police questioned them, the family reasoned they had gone to Turkey on holiday.
Rajat Chavda, who worked for agents from across the country, has been arrested. Chavda made fake documents like fake Aadhaar, election or PAN cards for at least four persons and charged Rs 35,000 each. All the four persons he made counterfeit documents have migrated to the US.
Mehsana Superintendent of Police (SP) Parthrajsinh Gohil said they have formed teams to catch dubious agents operating in the Mehsana and adjoining areas.
