New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant anticipatory bail to a Haryana-based agent accused of duping a man by promising to send him to the United States through the illegal ‘dunky’ route. The court said such actions bring disrepute to Indian passports.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan observed, “Because of people like you, Indian passports are defamed,” adding that such acts lead to disrespect for the nation’s travel documents.
The term “dunky route” refers to an unlawful method of migration, where human traffickers move individuals through multiple countries—often under harsh and unsafe conditions—bypassing legal immigration procedures to reach destinations such as the US or UK.
Referring to the details of the case, the bench said the accused not only cheated the complainant but also subjected him to inhuman travel conditions across several countries bordering the US. The court called the allegations “very serious” and declined to entertain the anticipatory bail plea of Om Prakash.
The plea was filed against an earlier order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had also denied him relief.
According to the FIR, Om Prakash was an associate of the main agent who promised to send the complainant to the US through legal means in exchange for Rs 43 lakh.
However, the complainant was instead sent via the illegal dunky route, and was eventually caught and deported from the US on February 16, 2025, along with others.
