Lok Sabha Question No. 1566 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-19
Subject: Custodial Death of Indians Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1566

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2018

## CUSTODIAL DEATHS OF INDIANS ABROAD

1566. SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN:

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any report on custodial deaths of Indians in different jails of foreign countries;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of Indians currently in foreign countries prisons, country-wise; and
- (d) the action taken by the Government with its counterparts to give justice to these imprisoned Indians and bring them back?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b)     As per information available with the Ministry, 40 Indian nationals died while serving their sentences  in jails of 15 foreign countries.

(c) 8445 Indian nationals are in prisons in 68 foreign countries. Due to strict provisions of privacy laws, some countries do not readily share information about Indian nationals in their jails. Country-wise details are at Annexure.

- (d) The safety, security and well-being of Indians abroad is among the top priorities for the Government of India. Our Missions and Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor any   incident   of   attack/complaints   of   mistreatment   against   Indians.   Such   incidents   are immediately taken up with the concerned authorities for taking action, as appropriate, to ensure that the cases are properly investigated and guilty punished. In some countries, where pro bono lawyers are available, the Mission arranges legal assistance to the Indian prisoners. In   those   cases,   where   Indian   nationals   complete   their   sentences   and   are   waiting   for completion of deportation formalities, Indian Missions/Posts in those countries take up the matter with the respective foreign governments for speeding up the process including issue of final  exit  visas,   waiver   of   penalties   imposed  on   Indian  workers,   etc.   from   the   concerned authorities and for the early return of the Indian nationals to India. Where required, the Indian Missions and Posts abroad also provide airfare for facilitating the return of the Indian prisoners who have completed their sentence.

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## ANNEXURE- I

|   S. No. | Country             |   The number of Indians in foreign pris- ons reported |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Armenia             |                                                    10 |
|        2 | Australia           |                                                    71 |
|        3 | Austria             |                                                     5 |
|        4 | Azerbaijan          |                                                     4 |
|        5 | Bahrain             |                                                   121 |
|        6 | Bangladesh          |                                                    40 |
|        7 | Belarus             |                                                     1 |
|        8 | Belgium             |                                                    22 |
|        9 | Bhutan              |                                                    66 |
|       10 | Brazil              |                                                     2 |
|       11 | Brunei              |                                                     1 |
|       12 | Cambodia            |                                                     3 |
|       13 | China               |                                                   234 |
|       14 | Cote D' Ivoire      |                                                     3 |
|       15 | Cuba                |                                                     1 |
|       16 | Cyprus              |                                                     7 |
|       17 | Denmark             |                                                     5 |
|       18 | Fiji                |                                                     1 |
|       19 | Finland             |                                                     1 |
|       20 | France              |                                                    33 |
|       21 | Germany             |                                                    51 |
|       22 | Ghana               |                                                     1 |
|       23 | Greece              |                                                    27 |
|       24 | Indonesia           |                                                    22 |
|       25 | Iran                |                                                     5 |
|       26 | Iraq                |                                                     1 |
|       27 | Israel              |                                                     2 |
|       28 | Italy               |                                                   230 |
|       29 | Japan               |                                                     7 |
|       30 | Jordan              |                                                    26 |
|       31 | Korea (Republic of) |                                                     2 |
|       32 | Kuwait              |                                                   483 |
|       33 | Kyrgyzstan          |                                                     2 |
|       34 | Lao PDR             |                                                     2 |
|       35 | Lebanon             |                                                     5 |
|       36 | Malaysia            |                                                   497 |
|       37 | Maldives            |                                                    12 |
|       38 | Mauritius           |                                                     1 |
|       39 | Mexico              |                                                     1 |
|       40 | Mozambique          |                                                     2 |
|       41 | Myanmar             |                                                    56 |
|       42 | Nepal               |                                                  1065 |
|       43 | Netherlands         |                                                     1 |
|       44 | New Zealand         |                                                    13 |
|       45 | Nigeria             |                                                     1 |

| 46   | Oman                   |   59 |
|------|------------------------|------|
| 47   | Pakistan               |  549 |
| 48   | Panama                 |    1 |
| 49   | Portugal               |    5 |
| 50   | Qatar                  |  212 |
| 51   | Russian Federa- tion   |    3 |
| 52   | Saudi Arabia           | 2224 |
| 53   | Senegal                |    1 |
| 54   | Singapore              |  117 |
| 55   | South Africa           |    6 |
| 56   | South Sudan            |    1 |
| 57   | Spain                  |   41 |
| 58   | Sri Lanka              |   66 |
| 59   | Sweden                 |    2 |
| 60   | Tanzania               |    4 |
| 61   | Thailand               |   43 |
| 62   | Uganda                 |    1 |
| 63   | Ukraine                |    1 |
| 64   | United Arab Emi- rates | 1606 |
| 65   | United Kingdom         |  267 |
| 66   | U.S.A                  |   88 |
| 67   | Vietnam                |    1 |
| 68   | Yemen                  |    1 |
|      | TOTAL                  | 8445 |