Shackled & handcuffed: Indian deportees from the US

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Shackled & handcuffed: Indian deportees from the US

Over recent days, the US has been sending plane-loads of undocumented migrants back to India—courtesy Trump’s immigration crackdown. The latest flight landed in Amritsar—carrying 104 passengers—most of them detained in the past two months. All of them paid anywhere from Rs 30 lakh (3 million) and Rs 1 crore (10 million) in expenses and fees to agents who promised to deliver them across the border—using the treacherous ‘dunki’ route.

An American shame: Their return has sparked great outcry–over the manner in which they were transported:

Sleep deprived, Mr. Handa recalls being sent to a camp in Santiago where he was kept for over 10 days. Adding to this, he recalled feeling like a “chained animal” for being handcuffed inside the aircraft. “The women and children too were handcuffed and their legs tied with ropes. Sikhs were asked to remove their turbans, and were only allowed to wear them after they landed,” he added.

The faces of women and children were covered by masks, as well. There was clearly no reason for such “precautions” other than wilful humiliation.

The even greater shame: In the midst of public outrage in India, the US Border Patrol chief shared a video—showing shackled Indians—on X. The accompanying post said:

USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed.

Watch the vid below:

New Delhi’s response: Pressed by the Opposition in Parliament, the government shockingly chose to downplay their treatment:

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday.. informed the Parliament that the deportation of illegal migrants was not a new development, and the use of restraints on the deportees was a “standard operating procedure”.

He even said that US authorities denied restraining women and children—contrary to their own testimony.

Reading list: The Hindu has more on the mistreatment—and the government’s response. Indian Express offers a closer look at these migrants—and their plight. Our Big Story explains the latest big wave of Indian migration—legal and illegal—and what’s driving it.

SpiceJet’s ‘insolvency’ battle: A new game of leverage

Two former SpiceJet pilots have filed an insolvency claim, demanding Rs 3 crore (30 million) in unpaid dues from COVID-era salary cuts. The bigger story here is a new strategy to pressure big companies to pay their debtors.

What’s with SpiceJet? The company has been struggling since the pandemic—and owes a lot of money to a lot of people. But it is not bankrupt by any means. Yet, there are 16 insolvency claims filed against the airline—in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)—which adjudicates bankruptcy cases.

Wtf is an insolvency claim? It’s when a creditor (someone owed money) files a case with the NCLT—claiming that a company is unable to pay its debts. These can potentially lead to a full-blown bankruptcy resolution process. An independent professional is put in charge—to assess whether or not the company can pay its debts—or has to be liquidated.

The naya modus operandi: Frustrated with SpiceJet dragging its feet, a number of its creditors—domestic and foreign—have filed such claims. The aim: To force an out-of-court settlement of the debt. Example: Ireland-based aircraft lessor Aircastle withdrew its insolvency case after reaching a $5.6 million settlement. Now, individual pilots are going down the same route to claim overdue pay—which is a whole new twist:

Filed by former captains Sameer Breja and Karan Gupta, who joined SpiceJet as first officers in 2011 and were promoted to captains in 2016, the plea claims that the airline owes them Rs 1.21 crore [12.1 million] and Rs 1.31 crore [13.1 million], respectively. The dispute traces back to 2020, when SpiceJet implemented temporary salary cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic, promising deferred payments once operations returned to “normalcy."

Why is this a big deal? The bankruptcy laws and courts are meant to help genuinely struggling companies restructure or shut down in an orderly manner. It is not a tool to be leveraged for debt collection. In fact, of the 21,466 insolvency claims filed before NCLTs by creditors, only 3,818 cases ended in a resolution process. Most were settled at the initial stage itself—indicating they were used mainly as a pressure tactic. Mint via MSN has the story of the pilots. (Mint, paywall)

A link between endometriosis and trauma

The context: Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects roughly 10% of reproductive-age women around the world—about 190 million people. The condition occurs when “tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, forming lesions.” Symptoms include severe pain, heavy menstrual flow, bowel and bladder issues, fatigue, and difficulty getting pregnant.

What happened now: A new large-scale study has found a strong link between the disease and a specific kind of trauma:

They show that the condition appears to be closely linked to trauma involving contact, i.e., those cases where there is direct physical interaction between the victim and the abuser, such as in physical abuse or sexual assault.

According to the study, women with endometriosis were 17% more likely to have witnessed a sudden death, 16% more likely to have experienced sexual assault in adulthood and 36% more likely to have received a life-threatening diagnosis. Point to note: This is an observed link—a cause-effect relationship has not been established. Medical Xpress has more details—including the possible role of childhood trauma.

Super Bowl LIX: Fulltime hype with a side of football

Amreeka’s biggest annual cultural event is back for its 59th edition on Sunday at the aptly named Superdome in New Orleans—12 years since it last hosted the Super Bowl.

The real reason to watch: The half-time show—which is part-concert, part-spectacle, and pure All-American pomp. This year’s star is Kendrick Lamar, fresh off his five Grammy wins last Sunday. Joining him on stage will be SZA—likely on their previous collabs like ‘All the Stars’, ‘Luther’ and ‘30 for 30’.

Ads, ads, ads: Much like the IPL in India, the Super Bowl has the most expensive and most lucrative—think ‘high-risk high-reward’—ad slots on US television. This is when companies—small, big and foolish—splurge stupid money on ads entirely focused on creating a buzz. This includes OpenAI—which is making its Super Bowl debut. The early reveals are out—and below are some of our favourites.

One: Barry Keoghan’s weirdo ‘Banshees of Inisherin’ character—Dominic Kearney— returns with his beloved pet donkey for this Squarespace ad:

Two: It’s a ‘When Harry Met Sally’ reunion! Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan share sandwiches with a healthy spread of Hellmann’s mayo:

Three: Rayban-Meta bring in celeb ‘Chrises’ Hemsworth, Pratt and Jenner to promote their fancy smartglasses:

As for the football: Two-time defending champs Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles—in a replay of the 2023 Super Bowl. Eagles lost. Sad. It will also be Taylor Swift’s second straight Super Bowl. Expect incessant shots of her cheering for boyfriend Travis Kelce. But sorry Swifties, the splainer team will be gunning for the Eagles—they’re Lakshmi’s team—and their excellent young quarterback, Jalen Hurts.

Point to note: Regardless of how the match goes, expect revenue records to be made—last year’s edition was the most watched broadcast in US TV history. In India, you can stream the Super Bowl spectacle on DAZN—at 5am on Monday! Yeah, right!

Reading list: The Guardian analyses the cultural phenomenon that is the Super Bowl halftime show, while The Conversation looks at Kendrick Lamar’s big Super Bowl moment. Delish has a comprehensive roundup of all the ads released so far. For the NFL nerds, ESPN and USA Today have the best match previews.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Google is scrapping diversity hiring targets and reviewing DEI programs—another blow to corporate diversity efforts in the age of Donald Trump.
Google’s Gemini AI model can now make it look like you’re calling a fake friend. The reason: it appears like a phone call notification on Android screens.
It’s official: Honeywell is splitting into three independent companies—aerospace, aviation and advanced materials—marking the end of one of the last longstanding industrial conglomerates in the US.

sports & entertainment

Recent hits such as ‘Singham Again’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ clocked big numbers, but over 60% of their box office collections come from the opening weekend or first week. The numbers are growing thanks to inflated ticket rates, but the reduced lifespan of films leave theatres in crisis.

health & environment

New research reveals that an AI tool helped identify treatment for idiopathic multicentric Castleman's disease (iMCD), a rare disease with a low survival rate.
An experimental vaccine for kidney cancer is off to a promising start. Three years after receiving the vaccine in trials, patients are still cancer-free.
In a world first, lab-grown meat treats for dogs are now available to buy in UK stores.
First Trump, now Milei—Argentina has announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Blocked from drilling in Assam’s protected Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Oil India Limited rebrands the same project as “R&D”—and the environment ministry is on board.
In other ‘we’re so f***ed’ news, this past January was the hottest ever on record, with surface-air temperatures 1.75°C above preindustrial levels.
The Print has a must-read on how Bangalore is running out of shelter space for leopards, with people not helping matters by panicking.
Male humpback whales sing like humans speak—with long, intricate songs that include repeated phrases and themes.

as for the rest

A report reveals that 79 pilgrims died in the Kumbh Mela stampede—more than double the official toll—fueling accusations of a government cover-up.
The Telegraph has a good read on ‘Sangam Senoritas’—influencers and actresses at the Mahakumbh who are stealing the spotlight from Modi and Yogi—rebranding themselves as Sanatan Dharma’s new flagbearers.
Washington just revoked India's waiver for its involvement in building the Chabahar port in Iran. But New Delhi is staying silent as it preps for Modi’s upcoming US visit.
The Trump administration is gutting USAID—keeping just 290 of its 10,000 employees in a sweeping blow to global aid efforts.
South Korea has ordered the installation of bird detection cameras at airports—in light of the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people. Check out our Big Story for more context.
NASA has dropped all mentions of DEI from its websites, following a directive from the Trump administration.
The Hindu has a cool read—with colourful photography—on how Spanish fashion designers are reinventing the flamenco dress with a dash of contemporary flair.
Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has a good read on the rise in divorce-themed Korean dramas, and their link to longer-lasting marriages in the country.

Six things to see

One: This frightening CCTV footage shows armed men outside Clémenceau metro station in Brussels early in broad daylight—and shooting at unknown targets. Mercifully, no one was hurt—but no one has been arrested either. It eerily resembles a Hollywood action movie scene. (BBC News)

Two: On Wednesday night, protesters stormed Dhanmondi-32 in Dhaka—the historic residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—the founding father of Bangladesh. They tore down parts of the building—and torched the rest. The reason: Mujibur is now seen as the symbol of his daughter Sheikh Hasina’s reign. (Indian Express)

Three: Zomato just rolled out a rebrand no one asked for. Say hello to Eternal—the new name of the parent company that now has four businesses—food delivery vertical Zomato, quick-commerce platform Blinkit, live events business District and kitchen supplies arm Hyperpure. FYI, CEO Deepinder Goyal’s announcement waxed lyrical about what is—let’s be honest—a rather run-of-the-mill name:

Eternal is a powerful name, and to be honest, it scares me to my core. It is a tall order to live up to. Because ‘Eternal’ carries both a promise and a paradox. True permanence isn’t built on bold claims of invincibility or the swagger of success. It is forged in the quiet understanding that our immortality stems from our mortality — because the day we think we will last forever simply because we declare it, we begin our end.

At least Google opted for something weird like Alphabet. Behold the new logo below. We’re thinking… hair salon? (The Hindu)

Four: Forest officers rescued a tiger and a wild boar—that had fallen into the same well during a chase in Pench Tiger Reserve. The officers used a crane and a cot to usher the tiger into a cage which was then lifted to the ground. Amazingly, the tiger had not hurt the boar. Watch the astonishing video below. (Indian Express)

Five: Fans attending the Ed Sheeran concert in Chennai were treated to an unexpected collab when AR Rahman casually walked onto the stage–and helped deliver a ‘Shape of You’ X ‘Urvasi Urvasi’ mashup. (The Print)

Six: Brace yourselves for the latest installment in the iconic dino franchise—‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’. The movie is set five years after the last one and sees Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali venture into the isolated and extremely dangerous dino island. It is slated to release on July 2. (Variety)

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