Punjab man dies of cardiac arrest in Guatemala while travelling to US illegally

Amritsar: A man from Punjab's Ajnala died of cardiac arrest in Guatemala during a journey to the US illegally, the state's NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said on Sunday.

Expressing grief over Gurpreet Singh's death, the minister advised youths not to make attempts to travel abroad through unauthorized routes and to instead earn skill education in India.

He said that Singh died of cardiac arrest while travelling to the US along with a group of people through a 'dunki' route -- an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter America.

It is learnt that Gurpreet's family paid Rs 16.5 lakh to agents for taking him to the US.

The incident came days after 104 illegal Indian immigrants, including 30 from Punjab, were deported onboard a US military aircraft on February 5.

Dhaliwal visited the residence of Gurpreet and expressed condolences to his family. He assured the deceased's family that the government would make every effort to bring his body back to Punjab.

The minister said that instead of spending money on trying to go abroad through illegal routes by spending huge sums, youths can set up businesses in the state with the same money.