Home Ministry Orders NIA Probe After Educated Haryana Youth Escapes Human Traffickers From Myanmar

By Gautam Debroy

New Delhi: When Sunil Kumar, a BSc and BEd passout from Haryana, was eagerly searching for a job, little did he know that his pursuit could lead him into the hands of human traffickers on foreign soil.

Although Kumar escaped from the clutches of these gangs, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has now handed over the case to India's premier National Investigation Agency (NIA), sensing wider international ramifications of the case.

The MHA Order

The Home Ministry order issued to the NIA on December 19, a copy of which is in possession of ETV Bharat, says, “Whereas the central government has received information regarding registration of FIR No. 64/2025 dated 15/11/2025 by Haryana Police at P.S. cyber crime-Charkhi Dadri, District Charkhi Dadri, Haryana u/s 24 of Immigration Act and 143 (2) , 316 (2), 318 (4), 351 (2) of BNS, 2023 pertaining to trafficking of one Sunil Kumar R/O Charkhi Dadri from Chennai to Thailand under the pretext of a job opportunity by one Ankit Bharadwaj, R/o Charkhi Dadri and upon reaching Thailand, he was illegally transferred and was physically assaulted, threatened and held hostage as a slave for the purpose of exploitation in cyber fraud activities.”

The order further said that Rs 7 lakh was demanded from Sunil Kumar as a condition for his release and return to India and on 22.10.2025, Sunil Kumar managed to escape and reached Thailand, where the Indian Embassy facilitated his return to India.

“The Central government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, has been allegedly committed in the instant case, and the aforesaid case is allegedly related to an illegal immigration trafficking syndicate which is indulged in illegal trafficking of youths from India and having regard to the gravity of the offence, its grave national and international ramifications and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy, it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008,” the order stated.

The Case of Sunil Kumar

In the first information report (FIR) filed with the cyber crime division of Charkhi Dadri police in Haryana, Kumar said that after completing BSc and BEd, he was looking for a job. “My friend Ankit Bharadwaj from the same village told me that there is a good job opportunity at a Volvo booking service in Thailand. He told me that I needed a tourist visa to enter the foreign country. After I gave Rs 35,000 to Ankit, he informed me that he has arranged a plane ticket for me from Chennai to Bangkok for 16.08.2025. Ankit told me that I will find a person named Aman at the Chennai airport. On the day mentioned, Aman and I boarded the flight for Bangkok. Ankit told me that a person (a taxi driver) will pick me up from Bangkok and take me to the destination.”

In the FIR, a copy of which is in possession of ETV Bharat, Kumar said the taxi driver took him and Aman to Mae Sot city, which is 350 km away from Bangkok. Sensing foul play, Kumar kept sharing his location with his sister in Haryana.

“After staying in a hotel in Mae Sot city on August 17, the taxi driver took us to a riverine location the next day. I found several people from other countries there. I heard from them that it was the Myanmar border. From there, we were ferried to a call centre at Myawaddy city in Myanmar. After reaching there, all our documents were seized. They assaulted and forced us to obey their orders,” Kumar stated in his FIR.

Thereafter, Kumar and others were forced to engage with cyber fraud activities through dating apps and others.

“When I contacted Ankit to rescue me from there, he told me to pay Rs 7 lakh to ensure my release. Accordingly, I paid Rs 7 lakh. Thereafter, I contacted the Indian Embassy through email and briefed them about what happened to me. Subsequently, on 22.10.2025, there was a raid by military police on the said company. Taking advantage of the raid, I escaped from there with several others,” Kumar said.

Kumar then crossed over to Thailand and reached the Indian Embassy. “On 10.11.2025, we were sent back to India by the Indian Embassy in Thailand,” Kumar said in his FIR, demanding strong action against Ankit Bharadwaj and his accomplices.

Ending All Human Trafficking Is Difficult: Expert

Talking to ETV Bharat, renowned security expert and former Director-General of Uttar Pradesh Police, Arun Kumar, said there can’t be any permanent solution to the problem.

“There can’t be any permanent solution to the issue of human trafficking, following the fact that youths face unemployment issues. Although there is employment, the willingness to earn more money, and the charm of working in a foreign land, are being exploited by the human trafficking gangs,” said the former top cop, who was also Director-General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

He added, “However, it is basically allurement of the people of going out and getting higher remuneration that makes them victims of human trafficking.”

He also said that there are a lot of gangs that are mostly working in countries like Myanmar, which are politically unstable.

“The income from cyber crime is much higher than any other crime. And they know that Indian people have knowledge of software, and can be lured for that. The gangs identify potential youths through agents,” he said.

Also Read:

1. 64 Haryana Youths Rescued From Myanmar Cyber-Slavery Camps; Around 10,000 Indians Feared Trapped
2. Member Of International Cyber ​​Slavery, Human Trafficking Network Held In Gujarat
3. 125 Indian Nationals Repatriated From Thailand After Release From Myanmar Scam Centres
4. Indians Who Fled A Myanmar Cyberscam Center Are Being Flown Home From Thailand