A US military plane carrying 112 deportees arrived at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Sunday night at 10:03 pm. However, despite the plane having landed and the passengers being on the ground, they were not allowed to leave the airport for several hours. It wasn’t until around seven hours later, in the early hours of Monday, that the deportees were escorted out of the airport. This delay saw the passengers being moved out in small batches, with security-escorted buses taking them from two different gates.
The deportees were not permitted to communicate with the media, and there were strict restrictions on family members who were waiting to receive them. None of the deportees’ families were allowed to approach or meet them at the airport, adding an element of secrecy and control to the situation. The deportees were kept in the airport until roughly 4:30 am, at which point they began to be released in groups. The entire process of clearing the airport took about half an hour, during which time authorities ensured that the deportees were safely and securely moved away from public view.
The extended delay in processing the deportees raised numerous questions, especially given the unusual length of time it took to allow them to leave the airport. While the exact reasons for the delay have not been publicly clarified, it is clear that the authorities were focused on maintaining security and order during the operation. The event has drawn attention not only for its logistics but also for the lack of transparency regarding the reasons behind such a long wait. Despite this, the deportees were eventually allowed to leave under tight security, marking the conclusion of an unusual and highly controlled operation.
