Lok Sabha Question No. 2601 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-03
Subject: Repatriation of Prisoners
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: NINONG ERING, KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO, A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2601 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.01.2018

## REPATRIATION OF PRISONERS

## 2601. SHRI NINONG ERING: SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO: SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of Indian nationals (convicts and under-trials) lodged in foreign countries prisons, domicile, sex, offence and category-wise;
- (b) the total number of applications for repatriation received and total the 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;
- (d) the details of the inter-ministerial process of interaction between different Ministries and Departments; and
- (e) the details of 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, the number of Indian prisoners in foreign jail is 7985 as of 28.12.2017. Detailed countrywise list is given at 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   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 62 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) & (e) In the process of repatriation, mainly two Ministries of the Government of India are involved i.e. Ministry of External Affairs (Consular, Passport & Visa Division) through its Missions and Posts abroad and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Centre-State Division).

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 T erritory 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 T erritory 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                     | 5-Punjab                                                                                                             | 5 - Male                                                                                                             | Murder                                                                                                                                                       |
| 3        | Australia  | 70                    | Details not provided                                                                                                 | 70 -Male                                                                                                             | Sexual assault, murder, unlawful wounding, attempt to murder, road accident offence                                                                          |
| 4        | Azerbaijan | 3                     | 3-Punjab                                                                                                             | Details not provided                                                                                                 | Possession of narcotics                                                                                                                                      |
| 5        | Bahrain    | 77                    | Details not provided                                                                                                 | 74 - Male 3 - Female                                                                                                 | Theft, accepting bribes, financial fraud, consumption of alcoholic drinks                                                                                    |
| 6        | Belarus    | 1                     | 1 - Punjab                                                                                                           | 1 - Male                                                                                                             | Crossing into Poland illegally                                                                                                                               |
| 7        | Bangladesh | 19                    | 11 - West Bengal 2 - Tripura 2- Manipur 2 - Meghalaya 1 - Assam 1 - Delhi                                            | 17 - Male 2 - Female                                                                                                 | Narcotic act, arms act, murder case, explosive act, control of entry                                                                                         |
| 8        | Belgium    | 19                    | Details not provided                                                                                                 | Details not provided                                                                                                 | Human trafficking                                                                                                                                            |
| 9        | Bhutan     | 53                    | 36 - West Bengal 16- Assam 1- Tamil Nadu                                                                             | 11 - Male                                                                                                            | Drugs, burglary, robbery, counterfeiting, auto stripping                                                                                                     |
| 10       | Brunei     | 1                     | 1 - Tamil Nadu                                                                                                       | 1 - Male                                                                                                             | Murder charge                                                                                                                                                |
| 11       | Cambodia   | 6                     | 1 - J&K 1-Punjab 1-Kerala 2- Gujarat 1- Tamil Nadu                                                                   | 6 - Male                                                                                                             | Drug trafficking                                                                                                                                             |
| 12       | Canada     | 70                    | Details not provided                                                                                                 | Details not provided                                                                                                 | Murder, assault with a weapon, manslaughter, sexual interference and laundering precedes of crime                                                            |
| 13       | China      | 29                    | Details not provided                                                                                                 | 26 - 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   | 5                     | 1 - Assam 3 - Punjab, 1 - Gujarat                                                                                    | 5 - Male                                                                                                             | Possession of fake documents, drug trafficking                                                                                                               |
| 15       | Cuba       | 1                     | Details not provided                                                                                                 | 1 - Male                                                                                                             | Corruption of minors and drug trafficking                                                                                                                    |
| 16       | Cyprus     | 6                     | Details not provided                                                                                                 | 5 - Male 1 - Female                                                                                                  | Premeditated murder, circulation of false document, illegal employment                                                                                       |

|   17 | Denmark   |   7 | Details not provided                                                  | 7 - Male                                 | Details not provided                                                           |
|------|-----------|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   18 | Egypt     |   3 | 1 - Gujarat 2-Andhra Pradesh                                          | 3 - Male                                 | Drugs trafficking                                                              |
|   19 | Ethiopia  |   5 | 2 - Rajasthan 2 - Tamil Nadu 1 - Kerala                               | 5 - Male                                 | Financial fraud                                                                |
|   20 | Djibouti  |   1 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   21 | Fiji      |   2 | 2 - Punjab                                                            | 1 - Male 1 - Female                      | Drugs and passport related                                                     |
|   22 | Finland   |   1 | Details not provided                                                  | 1 - Male                                 | Rape case                                                                      |
|   23 | France    |  37 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   24 | Germany   |  52 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   25 | Ghana     |   3 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   26 | Greece    |  17 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   27 | Guatemala |   3 | Details not provided                                                  | 3 - Male                                 | Details not provided                                                           |
|   28 | Indonesia |  28 | Details not provided                                                  | 26 - Male 2 - Female                     | Immigration violation, misuse of stay permit, drug trafficking, fake documents |
|   29 | Iran      |  38 | Details not provided                                                  | 38 - Male                                | Diesel smuggling, illegal entry into Iranian waters                            |
|   30 | Iraq      |  10 | 5- Telangana 3- Bihar 1- Jammu &Kashmir 1- Uttar Pradesh              | 10 - Male                                | Human trafficking and overstaying without valid documents                      |
|   31 | Ireland   |   3 | Details not provided                                                  | Details not provided                     | Details not provided                                                           |
|   32 | Israel    |   7 | Details not provided                                                  | 5 - Kerala 1 - Maharashtra 1 - Karnataka | Details not provided                                                           |
|   33 | Italy     |  79 | Details not provided                                                  | 78 -Male 1 - Female                      | Details not provided                                                           |
|   34 | Japan     |   6 | 2 - Kerala 1 -Punjab 1 -Uttarakhand 1 - Uttar Pradesh 1 - Maharashtra | 6 - Male                                 | Robbery and murder, violation of customs law, narcotics trafficking            |
|   35 | Jordan    |   2 | 1 - Chhattisgarh 1- Chhattisgarh                                      | 2 - Male                                 | Theft                                                                          |

|   36 | Korea (Republic of)   |   2 | 1 - West Bengal 1 -Kerala                                                                                                                                                                              | 2 - Male               | Violation of Unfair Competition, Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, Drug dealing   |
|------|-----------------------|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   37 | Kuwait                | 506 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 490 - Male 16 - Female | Murder and drug charges                                                                     |
|   38 | Kyrgyzstan            |   1 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Details not provided                                                                        |
|   39 | Lao PDR               |   2 | 2 - Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                             | 2 - Male               | Monetary cheating                                                                           |
|   40 | Libya                 |   3 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Fake currency case                                                                          |
|   41 | Malaysia              | 341 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 321 -Male 20 -Female   | Visa violation, drug related, human trafficking                                             |
|   42 | Malawi                |   1 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1 - Male               | attempting to externalise foreign currency                                                  |
|   43 | Maldives              |  13 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 13 - Male              | Drug trafficking                                                                            |
|   44 | Mauritius             |   7 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 7 -Male                | Drug trafficking                                                                            |
|   45 | Mexico                |   2 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Murder and human trafficking                                                                |
|   46 | Mozambique            |   2 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Kidnapping, theft                                                                           |
|   47 | Myanmar               |  40 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Myanmar Immigration Act offence                                                             |
|   48 | Nepal                 | 859 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Narcotic smuggling, theft, Murder                                                           |
|   49 | Netherlands           |   1 | 1 - Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                            | 1 - Male               | Murder                                                                                      |
|   50 | New Zealand           |  13 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | 13 - Male/Female       | Details not provided                                                                        |
|   51 | Oman                  |  60 | Details not provided                                                                                                                                                                                   | Details not provided   | Murder, theft, bribery, drug dealing and alcohol trading                                    |
|   52 | Pakistan              | 395 | 331 - Gujarat 12 Daman &Diu 7 Uttar Pradesh 5 - Bihar 2 - Andhra Pradesh 3 - Maharashtra 2 - Punjab 7- J&K 2 -Rajasthan 4 - Madhya Pradesh 4- Delhi 3 - West Bengal 1 - Odisha 12 - Domicile not known | 390 - Male 5 - Female  | Pakistan ArmyAct, Official Secret Act, Foreigners Act, Entry Pakistan Act and Others.       |
|   53 | Panama                |   3 | 1-Delhi 1-Gujarat 1-Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                        | 3 -Male                | Smuggling of illegal migrants, organised crime, imprisonment offence                        |

| 54   | Peru                     |    1 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
|------|--------------------------|------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 55   | Philippines              |   17 | Details not provided       | 17 - Male                               | Kidnapping for ransom, anti trafficking, drug related offence, attempted murder, acquisition of explosive fire arms, robbery |
| 56   | Portugal                 |    6 | Details not provided       | 6 - Male                                | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 57   | Qatar                    |  196 | Details not provided       | 192 - Male 4 -Female                    | Drug cases, cheque bounce, murder case, sex related crimes, theft cases, forgery and fraud, driving traffic violations       |
| 58   | Russian Federation       |   11 | Details not provided       | 11 - Male                               | Fraud, murder, sexual offence                                                                                                |
| 59   | Saudi Arabia             | 2229 | Details not provided       | 1361 - Male 35 - Female 833 - Not known | Alcohol, Bribery, financial fraud, burglary                                                                                  |
| 60   | Senegal                  |    1 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 61   | Singapore                |  115 | Details not provided       | 111 - Male 4 - Female                   | Causing death, sexual offences, commercial crimes, customs offence, drug related offence, immigration offences               |
| 62   | Slovak Republic          |    1 | 1 - Punjab                 | 1 - Male                                | Human trafficking                                                                                                            |
| 63   | South Africa             |    6 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 64   | Spain                    |   36 | Details not provided       | 36 - Male                               | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 65   | Sri Lanka                |   38 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Drugs, visa fraud                                                                                                            |
| 66   | Suriname                 |    3 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Human trafficking and money laundering                                                                                       |
| 67   | Tanzania                 |    3 | Details not provided       | 3 -Male                                 | Possession of illegal items                                                                                                  |
| 68   | Thailand                 |   47 | 2-Andhra Pradesh 45-Others | 44 -Male 3 -Female                      | Stealing                                                                                                                     |
| 69   | Trinidad& Tobago         |    1 | 1-Kerala                   | 1 -Male                                 | Travelling on forged documents                                                                                               |
| 70   | Uganda                   |    1 | 1-Maharashtra              | 1 -Male                                 | Embezzlement of corporate funds                                                                                              |
| 71   | United Arab Emirates     | 1628 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 72   | United Kingdom           |  376 | Details not provided       | 376 -Male/ Female                       | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 73   | Ukraine                  |    1 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
| 74   | United States of America |  343 | Details not provided       | Details not provided                    | Criminal records, fraud case,                                                                                                |
| 75   | Uzbekistan               |    1 | Details not provided       | 1 - Male                                | Financial fraud                                                                                                              |
| 76   | Vietnam                  |    1 | 1-Haryana                  | 1 - Male                                | Details not provided                                                                                                         |
|      | Total                    | 7983 |                            |                                         |                                                                                                                              |