In September last year, Gurwinder Singh, a 44-year-old dairy farmer from Patiala, left home after paying Haryana-based agents Rs 45 lakh to go to the United States, according to an FIR registered by the Punjab Police. This was his third attempt – his first via Dubai and the second via Amsterdam (Netherlands) en route to Conakry (Guinea) had both failed, and he was sent back to India. After a four-month journey that involved a flight to Suriname in South America, a long boat ride to Guyana, traversing the jungles of Panama on foot for five days and hiding in a...