Today, On 16th June, The Supreme Court refused anticipatory bail to a man accused in the “dunki” illegal immigration racket, calling it a serious offence that lowers India’s passport reputation and harms genuine citizens seeking fair opportunities abroad.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant anticipatory bail to a man accused of facilitating an illegal immigration racket known as “dunki,” stating that such activities not only involve serious offenses but also undermine the global standing of Indian passports and negatively impact the interests of honest citizens.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan heard the plea from Om Parkash, who is facing multiple serious charges, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, trafficking, and intimidation.
The bench remarked while dismissing the plea,
“This is a very serious offence… Such incidents lower the standing of Indian passports internationally. They also adversely affect genuine people,”
The Court noted the “very serious allegations” against the petitioner and chose not to interfere with the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to deny anticipatory bail.
The FIR filed by Haryana police alleges that Parkash conspired with the primary accused an immigration agent who promised the complainant a legitimate route to the United States for a fee of Rs.43 lakh.
Instead, the complainant was funneled through Dubai, taken to various countries, smuggled through the forests of Panama, and eventually pushed across the US-Mexico border on February 1, 2025.
This challenge concluded in the complainant’s arrest by US authorities, imprisonment, and deportation to India on February 16, 2025. Following this, the accused allegedly demanded an additional Rs.22 lakh from the complainant’s father, bringing the total extorted amount to Rs.65 lakh.
In April, the High Court denied anticipatory bail to Parkash, considering the testimony from the complainant’s father that directly implicated him in the fraud.
The court also referenced Parkash’s prior criminal record and noted that the case was still in its “nascent stage,” necessitating a thorough investigation.
In February, two US military aircraft deported hundreds of Indians who had illegally entered the country. The first C-17 Globemaster returned with 104 individuals, including 33 from Gujarat, 33 from Haryana, and 30 from Punjab.
A second aircraft landed in Amritsar on February 16, bringing back 117 people, most of whom were from Punjab (65), along with others from Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
These deportations, which occurred amid a heightened crackdown on transnational migration networks, became a politically sensitive issue.
The Opposition criticized the Modi government for the deportation of Indian citizens from the United States via military aircraft, claiming it indicated a failure to safeguard citizens’ dignity abroad.
Several opposition leaders condemned reports that deportees were handcuffed and chained during their journey across continents.
Case Title: OM PARKASH vs. STATE OF HARYANA, SLP(Crl) No. 008965 – / 2025