‘Zonal NRI Milni’ in Bathinda on Wednesday gave NRIs a platform to raise a range of grievances, including allegations of police inaction and immigration fraud.A Mansa resident, Gurdev Singh, who said he was settled in Ontario and belonged to Mansa district, accused the Bathinda police of inaction in a case involving the alleged suicides of two of his relatives. He initially approached the minister on the stage. During the interaction, however, he stood up, showed the gathering documents related to his complaint and then came down to speak to the media.Gurdev alleged that a woman from Nasibpura village had married his daughter-in-law’s brother and, after taking Rs 60 lakh on the promise of helping him settle abroad, refused to take him to Canada. The family had arranged the money by taking loans. He claimed that the incident left the family deeply disturbed.“First, my daughter-in-law’s father committed suicide and then her brother,” he alleged, claiming that instead of registering a case, the police were pressuring the family.Responding to the allegation, Bathinda DC Rajesh Dhiman asked Gurdev to meet him in his office on Thursday and assured him that the matter would be examined.Another complainant, Bharpoor Singh, alleged that an immigration agent had duped his niece by promising to send her to Germany. He said she neither got the promised job nor managed to get her visa extended there. He claimed that German authorities had told the family that the agent was not registered.Bharpoor alleged that the local police had initially closed their complaint, which was later reopened after the intervention of the DGP. He claimed that the family was still being asked to accept money and remain silent.The minister said every genuine grievance raised by NRIs would be addressed on merit and within the stipulated timeframe. “Punjabi NRIs primarily raise complaints relating to property disputes, illegal occupation of land, documentation-related discrepancies and matrimonial issues,” the minister said.Several NRIs from Bathinda, Muktsar, Moga, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Fazilka and Mansa districts participated in the event. Some also appreciated the authorities for resolving their complaints.