- By Raju Kumar
- Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:07 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dunki Route Death: A family in Haryana's Kaithal claimed that its member, a teenager, who set out for the United States last October through the treacherous 'dunki' route in search of a job, was killed after allegedly being held captive by human traffickers in Guatemala.
18-year-old Yuvraj, son of a farmer from Mohna village in Kaithal, died in Guatemala. Yuvraj's maternal uncle, Gurpej Singh, said the family learned of his death a few days ago when one of the "donkers" sent them a death certificate and photos of him and another youth from Punjab, claiming both had been killed.
'Donkers' is a term used for human traffickers who operate illegal migration routes, during which some travellers are often assaulted and mistreated, he explained.
Who Was The Victim?
Yuvraj, who had passed his Class 12 exam, was eager to support his family and hoped to find a job once he reached the US. He fell prey to three Haryana-based travel agents who had taken large sums of money from the family, promising a safe journey through other contacts in their network. Singh said the family lost contact with Yuvraj after the initial payment was made. A few months later, they received videos showing him and another man from Punjab being held hostage in Guatemala, Gurpej said. Following this, the "donkers" raised ransom demands.
Yuvraj's family believes that the money they routed through the Haryana-based agents to be paid to the other "donkers" did not reach its intended recipients. Recently, one of the “donkers” contacted the family, claiming that Yuvraj had been killed, and demanded Rs 3 lakh to provide proof of his claim. Once the money was sent, the trafficker sent a death certificate and photos, Gurpej said.
"Overall, the family paid anywhere between Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh to the travel agents and the donkers," he added.
Gurpej claimed that the family had previously approached the police, and two local agents were apprehended. However, they were recently informed of the teenager's death.
Karnal Police Register Complaint Against Agents
In another case, Karnal Police, on October 31, registered a complaint against two agents for human trafficking after a harrowing video emerged from Iran, showing two men from Haryana being brutally beaten and stripped by human traffickers, also known as "donkers".
"All documents related to this case have been requested. The matter is being investigated. The cases have been registered at the Nigdu police station and the Sadar police station. We have also sent details to higher authorities so that both men can be rescued," the SP said.
(With agencies inputs)