India: Nightmare for Gujarati man as his dream of going to America lands him in hospital

An Indian man from the northern state of Gujarat, whose dream to go to America, albeit illegally through the Mexico border, landed in all sorts of problems after things didn’t go according to plans.

Priyank Patel, 34, from Mehsana district, had agreed with human traffickers to transport them across the border illegally for a sum of Rs15 million, but he could only manage to cough up Rs1 million, according to a report in the Times of India.

He and his family (wife and three children — aged 12, 7 and 5), who had flown directly from Delhi to Mexico, were then held captive in Cancun, Mexico until Priyank could manage to pay them the balance payment.

The gang tortured the family for more than a week, and seeing their pain, Priyank pleaded with the gang to at least release his wife and kids as only half a million rupees had to be paid, the report said.

Following this, Priyank’s wife and the kids were taken away from him. The gang reportedly told him that they had taken them across the border to Texas. But Priyank had neither heard from his wife nor kids ever since they were separated by the gang.

Not being able to get in touch with his family nor having any knowledge about their whereabouts stressed out led Priyank and he suffered a brain stroke. He was admitted to the hospital and is said to be in critical condition, according to the report.

Gemar Thakor, the head of the village from where Priyank and his family belong, said, “They left the village around eight months ago, but we do not know what happened to them. Their community members told us that the family could not reach the US as Priyank was unwell,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

• India