Lok Sabha Question No. 3907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Indian Prisoners Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3907 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2017

## INDIAN PRISONERS ABROAD

## 3907.     SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- the  details  of  Indian  nationals  lodged  in  foreign  prisons,
- (a) domicile-wise, sex-wise and offence-wise;
- (b) the total number of applications for repatriation received and total  number  of  Indian  nationals  repatriated  from  foreign prisons since the enactment of The Repatriation of Prisoners Act in 2003;
- (c) the number  of countries with  which India has bilateral agreements in regard to repatriation of prisoners; and
- (d) the  inter-ministerial  process  of  interaction  in  this  regard between different Ministries and Departments and the average time taken to process such repatriation requests?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI M. J. AKBAR)

- (a)          As  per  the  information  available  with  the  Ministry,  countrywise list showing the details is attached as Annexure. Due to strong privacy  laws  prevailing  in  many  countries,  the  local  authorities  do not  share  information  on  prisoners  unless  the  person  concerned consents  to  the  disclosure  of  such  information.  Even,  countries which share the information, do not generally provide the detailed information about the Indians who have been imprisoned.

(b) After  the  enactment  of  the  Repatriation  of  Prisoners  Act  in 2003,  170  applications  for  repatriation  have  been  received  and  61 Indian prisoners have been repatriated from foreign prisons. (c) So far, India has signed bilateral agreements with 30 countries.    Besides  this,  India  has  acceded  to  the  Inter  American Convention, by virtue of which, India can receive and send requests to  the  member  countries  as  well  as  those  countries  who  have signed/ratified the Inter American Convention. (d) The processing of cases of transfer of prisoners involves steps like  nationality  verification,  security  clearance,  views  of  Narcotic Control Bureau, if drug trafficking is involved, identification of prison by the State/Union Territory Government, completion of documents process by the India/foreign Mission concerned and consent of the transferring/receiving Governments. Time taken to process an application  for  transfer  depends  on  the  completion  of  necessary formalities  and  documents  by  the  concerned  agencies  and  State/ Union Territory Governments.

*****

## ANNEXURE

| S. No.   | Country    | Number of Prisoners   | Details of Indian nationals lodged in foreign prisons (As per information received from our Missions / Posts abroad)   | Details of Indian nationals lodged in foreign prisons (As per information received from our Missions / Posts abroad)   | Details of Indian nationals lodged in foreign prisons (As per information received from our Missions / Posts abroad)                                         |
|----------|------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | Country    | Number of Prisoners   | Domicile-wise                                                                                                          | Sex-wise                                                                                                               | Offence-wise                                                                                                                                                 |
| 1        | Armenia    | 1                     | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 1-Male                                                                                                                 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                         |
| 2        | Austria    | 5                     | 2-Punjab                                                                                                               | 5-Male                                                                                                                 | Murder                                                                                                                                                       |
| 3        | Australia  | 65                    | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 65 -Male                                                                                                               | Sexual assault, murder, unlawful wounding, attempt to murder, road accident offence                                                                          |
| 4        | Azerbaijan | 1                     | 1-Kerala                                                                                                               | 1- Male                                                                                                                | Possesion of narcotics                                                                                                                                       |
| 5        | Bahrain    | 82                    | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 75 - Male 7 - Female                                                                                                   | Theft, accepting bribes, financial fraud, consuption of alcoholic drinks                                                                                     |
| 6        | Belarus    | 5                     | Punjab                                                                                                                 | Details not provided                                                                                                   | Crossing into Poland illegally                                                                                                                               |
| 7        | Bangladesh | 21                    | 7 - West Bengal 3 - Tripura 1 -Tamil Nadu 5 - Manipur 5 - Meghalaya                                                    | 21 - Male                                                                                                              | Narcotic act, arms act, murder case, explosive act, control of entry                                                                                         |
| 8        | Belgium    | 31                    | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 31-Male                                                                                                                | Human trafficking                                                                                                                                            |
| 9        | Bhutan     | 62                    | 36 - West Bengal 16- Assam 1- Tamilnadu                                                                                | 11- Male                                                                                                               | Drugs, burglary, robbery, counterfieting, auto stripping                                                                                                     |
| 10       | Brunei     | 1                     | 1 - Tamil Nadu                                                                                                         | 1 - Male                                                                                                               | Murder charge                                                                                                                                                |
| 11       | Cambodia   | 5                     | 1 - J&K 1-Punjab 1-Kerala 1- Gujarat &others                                                                           | 5 - Male                                                                                                               | Drug trafficking                                                                                                                                             |
| 12       | Canada     | 50                    | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 48 - Male 2 -Female                                                                                                    | Murder, assualt with a weapon, manslaughter, sexual interference and laundring precedes of crime                                                             |
| 13       | China      | 28                    | Details not provided                                                                                                   | 25 - Male 3 - Female                                                                                                   | drugs smuggling, intentional injury causing death, smuggling import and export of goods, illegal cross border, embezzlement, rape, fake documentation, theft |

|   14 | Colombia       |   2 | 1 - Punjab, 1 - Gujarat                                                        | 2 - Male             | Possesion of fake documents, drug trafficking                                  |
|------|----------------|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   15 | Cote D' Ivoire |   1 | Details not provided                                                           | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                           |
|   16 | Croatia        |   3 | Details not provided                                                           | 3-Male               | Details not provided                                                           |
|   17 | Cuba           |   1 | Details not provided                                                           | 1 - Male             | Corruption of minors and drug trafficking                                      |
|   18 | Cyprus         |   8 | 3-Punjab 1-Haryana 4-not known                                                 | 7-Male 1-Female      | Premeditated murder, circulation of false document, illegal employment         |
|   19 | Denmark        |   8 |                                                                                | 8 - Male             | Details not provided                                                           |
|   20 | Egypt          |   3 | 1 - Gujarat 2-Andhra Pradesh                                                   | 3 - Male             | Drugs trafficking                                                              |
|   21 | Ethiopia       |   3 | 2 - Rajasthan 1-Tamilnadu                                                      | 3 - Male             | Financial fraud                                                                |
|   22 | Djibouti       |   1 | Details not provided                                                           | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                           |
|   23 | Fiji           |   2 | 2 - Punjab                                                                     | 1 - Male 1 - Female  | Drugs and passport related                                                     |
|   24 | France         |  13 | Details not provided                                                           | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                           |
|   25 | Gerogia        |   1 | Details not provided                                                           | 1-Male               | Violating fiscal laws by practicing unlawful money exchanges                   |
|   26 | Germany        | 114 | Details not provided                                                           | 114-Male             | Details not provided                                                           |
|   27 | Ghana          |   3 | Details not provided                                                           | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                           |
|   28 | Greece         |  17 | Details not provided                                                           | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                           |
|   29 | Guatemala      |   4 | Details not provided                                                           | 4-Male               | Details not provided                                                           |
|   30 | Indonesia      |  28 | Details not provided                                                           | 26 - Male 2 - Female | Immigration violation, misuse of stay permit, drug trafficking, fake documents |
|   31 | Iran           |  37 | 22 - Gujarat 1- Bihar 1- Jharkhand 2 - West Bengal 1- Rajasthan 1- J&K &Others | 37 - Male            | Diesel smuggling, illegal entry into Iranian waters                            |
|   32 | Iraq           |  11 | 6 - Telangana 3- Bihar 1- Jharkhand 1- Maharashtra                             | 11- Male             | Human trafficking and overstaying without valid documents                      |

|   33 | Ireland             |   3 | Details not provided                                                                     | 3-Male/Female        | Details not provided                                                        |
|------|---------------------|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   34 | Israel              |   4 | Details not provided                                                                     |                      | Details not provided                                                        |
|   35 | Italy               |  78 | Details not provided                                                                     | 77-Male 1- Female    | Details not provided                                                        |
|   36 | Japan               |   7 | 1 - Delhi, 2 - Kerala 1 -Punjab 1 -Uttarakhand 1 - Uttar Pradesh 1 - Maharashtra& Others | 7 - Male             | Robbery and murder, violation of customs law, narcotics trafficking         |
|   37 | Jordan              |   2 | 1 - Chhatisgarh 1- Chhatisgarh                                                           | 2 -Male              | Theft                                                                       |
|   38 | Kazakhstan          |   1 | Details not provided                                                                     | 1-Male               | Details not provided                                                        |
|   39 | Kenya               |   2 | 1 - Haryana 1 - Kerala                                                                   | 2 -Male              | Trafficking in narcotic drugs                                               |
|   40 | Korea (Republic of) |   3 | 1 - West Bengal 1-Kerala 1-Madhya Pradesh                                                | 3 - Male             | Violation of Unfair Competition, Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act |
|   41 | Kuwait              | 488 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Murder and drug charges                                                     |
|   42 | Kyrgyzstan          |   1 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                        |
|   43 | Lebanon             |   7 | Details not provided                                                                     | 7 - Male             | Murder, forgery, drug abuse, bribery                                        |
|   44 | Libya               |   1 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Fake currency case                                                          |
|   45 | Malaysia            | 304 | Details not provided                                                                     | 287 -Male 17 -Female | Visa violation, drug related, human trafficking                             |
|   46 | Maldives            |  11 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Drug trafficking                                                            |
|   47 | Mauritius           |   7 | Details not provided                                                                     | 7-Male               | Drug trafficking                                                            |
|   48 | Mexico              |   2 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Murder and human trafficking                                                |
|   49 | Mozambique          |   5 | Details not provided                                                                     | 5-Male               | Kidnapping, theft                                                           |
|   50 | Myanmar             |  39 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Myanmar Immigrarion Act offence                                             |
|   51 | Nepal               | 859 | Details not provided                                                                     | 859 - Male /female   | Narcotic smuggling, theft, Murder                                           |
|   52 | Netherlands         |   1 | 1 - Haryana                                                                              | 1 - Male             | Murder                                                                      |
|   53 | New Zealand         |  13 | Details not provided                                                                     | 13 - Male/ Female    | Details not provided                                                        |
|   54 | Niger               |   1 | Details not provided                                                                     | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                        |
|   55 | Nigeria             |   2 | Details not provided                                                                     | 2-Male               | Oil Bunkering and fraud case                                                |

|   56 | Oman               |   84 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 84 - Male/Female     | Murder, theft, bribery, drug dealing and alcohol trading                                                                    |
|------|--------------------|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   57 | Pakistan           |  467 | 416-believed to be Indian prisoners (fisherman - consular access not yet provided) 51-Civil prisoners as detailed below: 3- Gujarat 2- Punjab 6-J&K 5-MP 3-UP 4- Delhi 5- Bihar 5-WB 1- Maharashtra 1-Kerala 2-Rajasthan 1- Andhra Pradesh 1-Orissa 12- Not known | 467- Male/Female     | Pakistan Army Act, Official Secret Act, Foreigners Act, Entry Pakistan Act and Others.                                      |
|   58 | Panama             |    3 | 1-Delhi 1-Gujarat 1-Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3-Male               | Smuggling of illegal migrants, organised crime, imprisonment offence                                                        |
|   59 | Peru               |    1 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                                                                        |
|   60 | Philippines        |   17 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 17- Male             | Kidnapping for ransom, anti trafficking, drug related offence, attemped murder, acquisition of explosive fire arms, robbery |
|   61 | Portugal           |    3 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                                                                        |
|   62 | Qatar              |  177 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 175- Male 2-Female   | Drug cases, cheque bounce, murder case, sex related crimes, theft cases, forgery and fraud, driving traffic violations      |
|   63 | Romania            |    2 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Details not provided | Details not provided                                                                                                        |
|   64 | Russian Federation |    5 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Details not provided | Fraud, murder, sexual offence                                                                                               |
|   65 | Saudi Arabia       | 2084 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Details not provided | Alcohol, Bribery, financial fraud, burglary                                                                                 |

| 66   | Senegal                  |    1 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
|------|--------------------------|------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 67   | Seychelles               |    2 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 68   | Singapore                |  133 | Details not provided                              | 126 - Male, 7- Female  | Causing death, sexual offences, commercial crimes, customs offence, drug related offence, immigration offences |
| 69   | Slovak Republic          |    1 | 1 - Punjab                                        | 1 - Male               | Human trafficking                                                                                              |
| 70   | South Africa             |    7 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 71   | Spain                    |   36 | Details not provided                              | 36 - Male              | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 72   | Sri Lanka                |   46 | 31-Tamil Nadu 3-Kerala 1-Maharashtra 6-Puducherry | 4-Male 1-Female        | Drugs, visa fraud                                                                                              |
| 73   | Suriname                 |    3 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Human trafficking and money laundering                                                                         |
| 74   | Tanzania                 |    3 | Details not provided                              | 3-Male                 | Possession of illegal items                                                                                    |
| 75   | Thailand                 |   47 | 2-Andhra Pradesh 45-Others                        | 44-Male 3-Female       | Stealing                                                                                                       |
| 76   | Trinidad& Tobago         |    1 | 1-Kerala                                          | 1-Male                 | Travelling on forged documents                                                                                 |
| 77   | Turkey                   |    2 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 78   | Uganda                   |    1 | 1-Maharashtra                                     | 1-Male                 | Embezzlement of corporate funds                                                                                |
| 79   | United Arab Emirates     | 1376 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 80   | United Kingdom           |  376 | Details not provided                              | 376- Male/Female       | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 81   | Ukraine                  |    1 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 82   | United States of America |  279 | Details not provided                              | 276- Male/Female       | Criminal records, fraud case,                                                                                  |
| 83   | Uzbekistan               |    1 | Details not provided                              | 1-Male                 | Financial fraud                                                                                                |
| 84   | Vietnam                  |    1 | 1-Haryana                                         | 1-Male                 | Details not provided                                                                                           |
| 85   | Yeman                    |    1 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Not available (unofficially it is believed to be murder).                                                      |
| 86   | Zambia                   |    1 | Details not provided                              | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                                           |
|      | Total                    | 7620 |                                                   |                        |                                                                                                                |