6804 Indian Citizens in Foreign Jails

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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