Mohali, June 30 -- A Mohali woman, who spent nearly a year in a US immigration detention centre after being sent through an illegal "donkey route", has accused an immigration agent of cheating her of Rs.60 lakh by promising to send her legally to the United States. Mandeep Kaur, a resident of Phase 3B2, told police that she wanted to travel to the US to care for her ailing mother after her visa application was rejected. In January 2024, she came in contact with Pradeep Singh of Kharar, who was associated with an immigration firm operating from Sector 17, Chandigarh. According to the complaint, Pradeep initially promised to arrange legal entry to the US through Mexico for Rs.35 lakh and assured her that the payment would be taken only after she reached her destination. He later demanded Rs.50 lakh, citing visa-related complications. Mandeep arranged money from relatives and handed over Rs.45 lakh in cash to the accused at his residence in Soni Enclave, Kharar, on November 15, 2024. She alleged that she was taken through an illegal route that involved crossing difficult terrain before she was apprehended by the US Border Patrol near the San Diego-Tijuana border. She remained in an immigration detention centre for nearly a year before being deported to India. The complainant stated that apart from the Rs.45 lakh paid to the accused, she spent another Rs.15 lakh during the journey and subsequent detention, taking her total financial loss to Rs.60 lakh. An inquiry conducted verified the complainant's account, police officials said. Police have registered a case against Pradeep Singh under Sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act, 13. No arrest have been made so far. A detailed probe is underway, officials said....