25 Punjabi youth bound for US drown off Panama
In all, 25 youths from Punjab, who tried to enter the US illegally through the sea route, were drowned on January 10, when the boat in which they were traveling capsized off Panama. One of the survivors in the tragedy, Sonu, a resident of Bhogpur near Jalandhar, conveyed the matter to the respective families 4 days later. Soon, the families of the boat accident victims approached the Kapurthala police, and the Punjab government sounded the External Affairs Ministry. The Badal government in the State has urged the ministry to arrange for sending a delegation to the US for bringing the bodies of the youth back. The youths are believed to have paid anywhere between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.25 lakh each to a travel agent Rajender Singh, who is absconding. The police have filed a case against Rajender singh and are trying to arrest him. Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has already spoken to the Minister Sushma Swaraj in this regard. The US authorities are stated to be considering the Indian request. The hardworking Punjabis are known to use any means in their adventure of going abroad and making money. Sometimes their ventures end in misadventure.
