‘Went to toilet, ate food with hands cuffed, legs shackled for 51 hours’: Deported youth back in Kaithal

Kaithal: A day after he was deported from the US, a youth from Haryana's Kaithal district described the US military flight in which he and 103 other Indians were brought to India as "worse than hell".
Ankit, who is from Kaithal's Kasan village, said they were allowed to use the toilet after pleading, but even then their handcuffs and shackles on their legs were not removed. "We were kept in handcuffs for 51 hours. We weren't allowed to move even an inch from our seats. After repeatedly pleading, we were finally allowed to drag ourselves to the washroom. People on the plane would open the toilet door and push us inside," he added.
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Ankit added they were not able to eat properly on the flight either. "They forced us to eat while being handcuffed. I went to America to chase my dream after spending 45 lakh. It took seven months to reach there after many hardships. There are no jobs for youth in India, so people like me decided to go there, but everything is ruined now," he said.
Ankit said he reached the Mexico border on Jan 24, but was caught. "They kept us in a detention centre along with others, including women, and chained our feet with handcuffed hands. They then started the deportation process on Feb 3. There was no facility during the 51-hour journey, and they tortured us. Now all my dreams and expectations have ended. I urge other youth not to take the donkey route to chase their dreams. I borrowed money from relatives and friends, and now I am worried about how I will pay them back," he added, sorrow writ clear on his face.