Amritpal Singh (29), a resident of Raja Garden, Hambran Road, Ludhiana, was sent to the USA by his family in the hope that he would settle abroad and help them overcome their financial difficulties. However, fate had other plans.
Ever since Amritpal landed in India and reached Ludhiana after being deported, he went missing. A year has passed, and there is still no sign of him.
The son of a farmer, Amritpal, was deported from the US in April 2025 along with other Punjabi youths. After leaving the Delhi airport, he reached Ludhiana. He contacted his family only once before disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Since then, the family has been running from pillar to post to trace him.
The last known CCTV footage of Amritpal, obtained by the family, shows him at a dhaba near the DMCH. In the CCTV footage from April 1, 2025, he is seen wearing a white T-shirt with a mask on his face and entering the dhaba. After having food, he left and was never seen again.
Gurjeet Singh, brother of the victim, told The Tribune that Amritpal had a dream of settling in the US. “He wanted to ensure the welfare of the family and give us a comfortable life,” he said.
“A Jalandhar-based travel agent was contacted who promised to send Amritpal to the US. In return, the agent took Rs 50 lakh. We borrowed the money from various sources in 2023. In July 2023, the agent first sent him to Dubai and then through various countries via the ‘donkey route’, Amritpal managed to enter the US,” Gurjeet said.
He said his brother was working in the US. However, in June 2024 during a crackdown on illegal immigrants, he was caught by the US immigration authorities and kept in custody for several months.
“On April 9, 2025, Amritpal along with four other deportees, reached the Delhi airport. Though our family members had gone to the airport, they could not meet him. But we received confirmation from the airport authorities that he had landed safely. When we returned to Ludhiana, Amritpal had still not reached home. Even the phone he was carrying was switched off,” Gurjeet said.
Amritpal’s brother further said on April 11, they learnt he had taken a room in a hotel near the DMCH. CCTV footage from the hotel confirmed his presence. The next day, on April 12, Amritpal visited a mobile shop in Ghumar Mandi, where he sold his iPhone and bought a cheap second-hand phone. Shop footage confirmed this transaction but since the family did not have the IMEI number of the new phone, Amritpal’s digital footprint vanished completely.
The family searched for him at various religious places, including Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra and other gurdwaras that Amritpal used to visit frequently but found no trace of him.
The deportee’s brother alleged that they lodged a police complaint at the office of the Commissioner of Police on April 14, 2025, and another at the PAU police station on April 29. However, the police registered a case only after two months.
“We suspect that my brother might have slipped into depression after being deported from the US despite spending around Rs 50 lakh. He could have taken some extreme step. We also fear that he might have been illegally confined by some unidentified persons. The police should intensify the probe so that Amritpal can be traced,” Gurjeet said.
A complaint against the Jalandhar-based travel agent who sent Amritpal to the US via the donkey route has also been lodged, demanding registration of an FIR.
The Ludhiana police finally registered a case on the complaint of the victim’s brother, Gurjeet Singh, after more than two months. The case was registered against unidentified persons on the suspicion of illegal confinement.
SHO, PAU police station, inspector Rajinderpal said investigation was underway and efforts were being made to trace the victim. The police were in regular touch with his family.
