6804 Indian
Citizens in Foreign Jails
Over 40 percent
Caged in Arabia and UAE
JAMMU,04/JUNE/2016: As per latest
data available with the government of India, at least 6804 Indian Citizens are
Languishing in foreign Jails and over 41 percent of them are caged in Jails of
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates alone.
The Information in this regard has
been provided by the ministry of External Affairs to a Jammu based RTI Activist
Raman Sharma in response to his online RTI application submitted to the
ministry last month.
In its response, vide letter no .
T.551/RTI/08/2016 dated 23/05/2016 , the director cum Public Information
officer of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the ministry of
External Affairs it is being replied that there are 6804 Indian Nationals are
currently lodged foreign Jails.
In its response the MEA has also
admitted that many western countries do not share any information about the
nationality of the Jail inmates. “Due to strict provisions of their privacy
laws, many western countries do not share information about foreign nationals
who are in their jails”, reads the reply furnished by the ministry.
The communication of the ministry also
reveals that since 2013, at least 49 Indians died in prisons of different
countries.
Citing different reasons for Indian
National being jailed abroad, the MEA official has stated “ Indian Prisoners
Lodged in foreign Jails for crimes such as violation of immigration/visa rules
such as overstay and illegal entry, non possession of valid travel documents,
economic offences, violation of employment contracts, working without any
visa/permit”. The reply also cites consumption of alcohol as a reason for arrest of Indian Nationals in
such countries which have prohibition of alcohol. Though some Indians are also
jailed for grave offences like drug trafficking, theft and murder.
Though the ministry has denied
giving Male/Female and Major Minor wise information of Indian nationals in
foreign jails and advised the applicant to approach respective Indian missions
of different countries to get this information as they are designated public
authorities.
The data provided in RTI discloses
that Saudi Arabai and United Arab Emirate alone housed over 41 percent of total
Indians Jailed abroad. In Saudi Arabia there are 1696 Indian prisoners followed
by UAE and Nepal that have 1143 and 859 prisoners of Indian origin respectively.
Three other nations that have
maximum number of Indians in their Jails are Kuwait-434, Malaysia-356 and U.K-356.
In Pakistan there are 230 Indians imprisoned,
USA have jailed 188 Indians and in China
there are 161 Indian citizens in jails.
At least over 100 Indians are also
languished in each country like Bangladesh, Qatar, Singapore, Oman and Bahrain that have detained 137, 129,
115, 113 and 107 Indians respectively.
Countries having least number of
Indian Prisoners are Japan-7, Denmark-8, Kenya-5, Egypt-3, Prtugal-4 and
Uzbekistan, Armenia, Fiji, Georgia, Hungary, Malta, Niger, Senegal only one
Indian in their jails.
While giving his reaction over the
reply and logic for seeking such an information, the applicant Raman Sharma
said that he has no sympathy with the hardcore criminals of Indian origin and
they must meet the designated punishment as pronounced by the foreign court but
his concern is innocent Indians who fall in trap of fraudsters. He said he simply wanted to raise this issue of Innocent
Indians in foreign Jails who are not hardcore criminals but just in search of a
better job become victims of the fraudsters and enter the foreign countries without
valid Visa and travel permission and in such cases the government of India must
provide all legal help to the Indians in foreign countries.
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