Bharat alias Bobby Patel – the 47-year-old ‘Dingucha kingpin’ suspected of having sent four of a family from Gandhinagar on an illegal journey to the US that ended in their deaths early in January – has finally been caught. The Gujarat police arrested him from the Bhadaj area of Ahmedabad when he allegedly arrived to meet his ailing partner.
According to police sources, a squad from the state monitoring cell, which keeps an eye on the city's gaming and alcohol sales, received information that Bharat Patel had been seen visiting a residence in Bhadaj. As soon as they arrived, the cops apprehended Patel.
One of the most infamous illegal immigration agents from Gujarat is Bharat Patel, according to a Gujarat police officer who was informed of the development. He owns 28 valid passports, some of which even have his biometric data. He changed minor details and got multiple passports issued at different times through passport offices in the western parts of the country, including Mumbai and Ahmedabad. He used these passports to slip in and out of the country. ”
The officer added, “The Dingucha resident started off doing odd jobs in the village. Today, he runs a major migrant smuggling racket from India to the US through Turkey and Mexico. He first established his base in Dingucha village, then later began working with human smugglers from Delhi, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. ”
Bharat Patel is suspected of having helped 1,500 people from North Gujarat obtain fake passports. After the Canadian police discovered Jagdish Patel, 35, his wife Vaishali, 33, and their children Vihanga, 12, and Dharmik, 3, frozen to death in an empty field on January 19, 12 metres from the US border, the Gujarat police and state authorities started looking for human smugglers.