Tortured with Iron Rods and Shocks: Punjab Man’s Escape from 'Donkey Route' Nightmare to the US
- Posted on July 6, 2025
- News
- By Arijit Dutta
- 41 Views
Balwinder Singh from Punjab survived horrific torture while attempting illegal migration to the US via the “donkey route.” Captured in Colombia, he endured electric shocks and beatings before escaping. Three fellow travelers were killed. His family has filed complaints against travel agents who lured him with false promises of legal travel.

A shocking case of human trafficking and torture has surfaced as a 25-year-old youth from Punjab, Balwinder Singh, revealed the horrors he endured while attempting to enter the United States illegally through the infamous “donkey route”. His journey turned into a life-threatening ordeal when he and four others were abducted by traffickers operating in the jungles of Panama and Colombia.
According to Balwinder’s family, he left India in February 2025 with the help of local travel agents who promised legal travel for ₹28 lakh. But once in Colombia, he and his companions were captured by a gang known as “donkers”. The traffickers subjected the group to brutal third-degree torture in a jungle camp, aiming to extort money from their families. Viral videos showed victims being beaten with iron rods, shocked with electric wires, cut with blades, suffocated using plastic bags, and burned with melted bottles.
Balwinder’s mother, Shinder Kaur, said they received the first torture video on February 13, accompanied by a ransom demand. The family refused to pay, after which they lost contact with Balwinder for over three months.
On May 29, Balwinder finally contacted his family, narrating his escape. He said three of the five youths were killed after traffickers received no payments, but he and another survivor fled through dense forests and reached a safe area in Colombia.
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The family has lodged a complaint against four Kapurthala-based travel agents who allegedly orchestrated the illegal journey. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal has intervened, and the Indian embassy in Colombia has arranged Balwinder’s new passport and return flight.
This case underscores the growing dangers of illegal migration, with hundreds from Punjab falling prey to such deadly traps each year.