Punjab & Haryana High Court Denies Bail To Persons Accused Of Human Trafficking Via 'Dunki Route'
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
26 March 2026 12:02 PM IST
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that persons accused of operating an organised human trafficking racket facilitating illegal migration through the “Dunki Route” are not entitled to the benefit of regular bail, considering the gravity and international ramifications of the offence. The Court observed that such offences involve systematic exploitation, cross-border illegality, and large-scale financial gain.
A division bench of Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Ramesh Kumari was hearing appeals filed by the accused challenging orders of the Special Judge, NIA, rejecting their bail applications. The case arose from allegations that the accused lured victims with promises of sending them abroad legally, collected large sums of money, and instead facilitated their illegal entry into the USA through multiple countries, including Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, during which victims were subjected to harassment, assault and extortion by associates known as “Donkers.”
The investigation, taken over by the NIA, revealed that the accused had allegedly sent more than 150 persons abroad through illegal routes and collected substantial amounts of money under false assurances.
The material collected by the prosecution also included bank statements indicating substantial credit and debit transactions, as well as digital evidence linking the accused to the movement of funds and coordination of travel.
The Court found that the material on record prima facie indicated the operation of a large-scale human trafficking racket and could not be reduced to an isolated incident of cheating. It held that the nature of allegations, supported by witness statements and financial records, disclosed organised illegal activity involving multiple victims and cross-border movement. It observed:
“The bank account statement… that runs into 52 pages reveals transactions of credit and debit of huge amounts which substantiates the case of prosecution that under the under the garb of M/S Sayyesha, accused Gagandeep Singh @ Goldy is allegedly running an immigration business.”
The Court held that the connivance of the second accused person cannot be ruled out in the running racket of human trafficking/migrants smuggling. It was remarked that the seriousness of the offence, punishable with severe penalties, weighed against the grant of bail.
“Because of the international ramifications of the human trafficking of migrants into USA soil, and seriousness of allegations against the accused, they are not entitled for grant of benefit of regular bail,” the Court observed.
Accordingly, the High Court dismissed both appeals and declined to grant regular bail to the accused, while directing the trial court to expedite proceedings by ensuring timely examination of witnesses.
Case Title: Gagandeep Singh v. National Investigation Agency; Shubham Sandhal v. National Investigation Agency [CRA-D No.1617 of 2025 & CRA-D No.91 of 2026 (O&M)]