AHMEDABAD: New details have emerged regarding the tragic incident that claimed the lives of four of a family from Dingucha village in Gandhinagar, who were found dead barely 12m from the US-Canada border while attempting an illegal crossing on January 19 last year.
It has now been revealed that the Patels made a fateful choice, opting for a $5,000 cheaper route that ultimately led to their deaths.
Meanwhile, Steve Shand, the purported driver of a vehicle that was to pick up 11 Indian nationals, seven of whom made it across the border after leaving the Patel family of four stranded in a blizzard, pleaded "not guilty" to human smuggling charges in a US court this Saturday.
Sources familiar with the situation shared that a non-resident Gujarati (NRG), acting as a middleman and crosser, had initially offered to help Jagdish Patel and his fellow travellers to cross into the US illegally safely for $15,000 (Rs12.3 lakh approx).
However, they ended up striking a deal with a Surat resident named Fenil Patel, who lured the immigrants from north Gujarat with an enticing offer of crossing the border for a mere $10,000 (Rs 8.3 lakh approx).
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