Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, Sep 18: If the Centre accepts the recommendation of a high-level panel constituted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), then Non-resident Indians (NRIs) who harass or desert their wives may have their passports cancelled.
This move will facilitate extradition of NRI spouses to India for trial. Currently, it is highly challenging to get a person charged with desertion, domestic violence or dowry harassment cases to India to face legal proceedings.
In case the passport of the NRI husband is impounded, he will not be able to leave the country or he if he is present abroad, he will be deported to India to face trial.
The MEA set up the panel in May as several women lodged complaints against their NRI husbands. In 2009, then NCW chairperson Girija Vyas had observed that “out of 10 NRI marriages, two result in the wife being abandoned after the honeymoon”.
The nine member panel headed by retired judge Arvind Kumar Goel (who is also the former chairman of Punjab’s state commission for NRIs) has also recommended that cases of domestic violence be included in the scope of extradition treaties that India inks with other countries.
“The government is most likely to accept the recommendations,” says an official from Union women and child development (WCD) ministry. Both external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and WCD minister Maneka Gandhi have spoken on this issue on several public forums and expressed government’s intent on addressing the same, the official adds.
Compulsory registration of NRI marriages and increasing financial aid from $3,000 to $6,000 provided by Indian missions to the women who have been abandoned by their husbands were among the key recommendations made by the panel. The money will help women to avail legal services in foreign lands.
It is interesting to note that Section 10 (3) of the Passport Act has a provision for impounding the passport of NRI husbands in case of an FIR or court directive. However, it is often not invoked due to lack of awareness and the cumbersome process involved.