24 Punjabi youth suspected to have been drowned near Panama

Chandigarh : In a repeat of Malta boat tragedy, about two dozen Punjabi youth have been drowned as the boat in which they were travelling capsized near Panama. They were bound for USA. The youths, it is believed, were being transported for an illegal entry by a travel agent.The tragedy surfaced as two of the survivers called back home.The Kapurthala police have booked travel agent Kulwinder Singh Multani for fraud.Bachan Singh from Jaid village said his 21-year-old son Gurvinder Singh was among those feared dead. “We got to know about the incident on January 12-13. On January 15, I went to the house of Sonu, from Luroi village under Begowal police station, who survived and called up his family. His wife told me that my son and Gurjit Singh from Tandi Aulakh village were among the 22 to 24 youths who drowned.”Bachan Singh accused Multani of luring him into sending his son to the US. “A deal was fixed at Rs 25 lakh, of which I have already paid Rs 10 lakh.Gurvinder left on October 15 and last concacted his family on January 10. He told the family that they were assured by Multani a safe passage to USA through land route.