Parole Jumper's Tortuous Journey: From Dubai to US Border, Then Back to India

In a dramatic turn of events, a gangster who jumped parole last year to escape to the US has returned to India this week. Sunil Sardhania, a 39-year-old criminal, had thought he could join the ranks of other fugitive gangsters living abroad but operating in India. However, his treacherous journey took an unexpected turn.

Sardhania's attempt to reach the US via the "donkey route" - a colloquial term for the dangerous paths illegal immigrants take - proved to be a harrowing experience. After flying out of Mumbai on a forged passport, he was kidnapped twice in Colombia by "agents" who facilitate the transit of illegals for money. During this time, he was threatened, tortured, and starved.

Sardhania only managed to secure his release after sending word to his UK-based associate, Deepak Nandal, about his plight. Nandal contacted another common associate, Rao Inderjeet Yadav, who paid $7,000 to bail Sardhania out. However, by then, the situation had changed - Donald Trump had been sworn in as president, and the US was in crackdown mode on illegal immigrants.

Sardhania's "American dream" was shattered as he failed to cross the Mexico border. He spent some time in Nicaragua before reaching Costa Rica, where he stayed in touch with Nandal and continued to run their gang in Haryana, India, from abroad. This year, Sardhania and Nandal were named in several FIRs in Gurgaon for various crimes.

Desperate and living a miserable life, Sardhania eventually decided to return to India, preferring a return to prison in his home state over the horrors he faced on the "donkey route."