Lok Sabha Question No. 1625 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Indians Held Hostage
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1625

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2019

## INDIANS HELD HOSTAGE

## †1625. SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI: SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Indian citizens, who were kept as hostage in other countries due to some reasons, repatriated to India from the year 2014 till date, country-wise;
- (b) the number of Indian citizens, who were kept as hostage, died in foreign jails or prisons from the year 2014 till date;
- (c) the number of Indian citizens languishing in foreign jails or prisons at present   along   with   the   details   of   crimes   for   which   they   have   been imprisoned; and
- (d) the efforts made by the Government to repatriate those Indian citizens who were not involved in any crime or have been proved innocent but they have to stay in foreign jails due to some reasons?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) As  per  information available with the Ministry 49 Indian nationals who were held hostage in different countries were repatriated to India during 2014 2018. Details are enclosed in Annexure-I.   In addition, mortal remains of 39 Indians who died while being held hostage by ISIS in Iraq, were also brought back to India.

(b) There are no cases of Indians who were held hostage and finally died in foreign jails or prisons. However, 42 Indian nationals died while serving their sentences in jails of foreign countries.

(c) As  per   information   available   with   the   Ministry,   the   number   of   Indian prisoners in foreign jails as of 08.02.2019 is 8567. Detailed country-wise list is given at Annexure-II.

(d) The safety and security of Indian nationals in foreign countries is a matter of foremost concern for the Government of India. The Government keeps a close watch   on   the   situation   in   strife-torn   countries,   issues   advisories   wherever required  and engages the local authorities regularly to prevent incidents of hostage/kidnapping, while  simultaneously  making every  effort   to   secure   the release of those in captivity.

Our Missions and Posts abroad also extend all possible help and assistance to the imprisoned Indian nationals including when they are detained by local

police/immigration authorities or put in prisons for violation of local laws or allegedly violation of local laws. Apart from extending them all possible consular assistance, Indian Missions and Posts abroad also assist in extending legal aid wherever needed. Missions and Posts also maintain a local panel of lawyers where Indian community is in sizeable numbers. Legal assistance is also provided to Indian nationals abroad including those in prison on a means-tested basis in deserving cases through the Indian Community Welfare Fund.

*****

| S. No.   | Name of Country   | Number of Indians, who were kept as hostage in other countries due to some reasons, repatriated to India from the year 2014   |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Afghanistan       | 2                                                                                                                             |
| 2        | Kenya             | 18                                                                                                                            |
| 3        | Libya             | 6                                                                                                                             |
| 4        | Nigeria           | 14                                                                                                                            |
| 5        | Senegal           | 1                                                                                                                             |
| 6        | South Sudan       | 2                                                                                                                             |
| 7        | Thailand          | 3                                                                                                                             |
| 8        | Turkey            | 2                                                                                                                             |
| 9        | Yemen             | 1                                                                                                                             |
|          | Total             | 49                                                                                                                            |
|          | Iraq              | 39 (mortal remains brought back to India)                                                                                     |

*****

## ANNEXURE-II

|   S. No. | Name of Country     |   Number of Indians in foreign jails | Details of crime                                                                                                                                              |
|----------|---------------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Armenia             |                                    9 | N/A                                                                                                                                                           |
|        2 | Austria             |                                    5 | Murder etc.                                                                                                                                                   |
|        3 | Australia           |                                   74 | Sexual offence, armed robbery, stalking, murder, drugs etc.                                                                                                   |
|        4 | Bahrain             |                                  121 | Theft, bribe, alcohol consumption, financial fraud etc.                                                                                                       |
|        5 | Belarus             |                                    2 | Human trafficking etc.                                                                                                                                        |
|        6 | Bangladesh          |                                   43 | Narcotics act, Arms Act, smuggling, illegal entry, human trafficking etc.                                                                                     |
|        7 | Belgium             |                                   19 | Various criminal offences etc.                                                                                                                                |
|        8 | Bhutan              |                                   56 | Drugs, robbery, counterfeiting etc.                                                                                                                           |
|        9 | Brazil              |                                    2 | Illegal entry etc.                                                                                                                                            |
|       10 | Brunei              |                                    1 | Murder                                                                                                                                                        |
|       11 | Cambodia            |                                    3 | Drug trafficking, sexual offence, ATM fraud case etc.                                                                                                         |
|       12 | Canada              |                                   69 | Murder, sexual interference etc.                                                                                                                              |
|       13 | China               |                                  242 | Drug smuggling, murder, theft, contract forgery, etc.                                                                                                         |
|       14 | Cote d' Ivoire      |                                    1 | Commercial dispute                                                                                                                                            |
|       15 | Cuba                |                                    1 | drug trafficking                                                                                                                                              |
|       16 | Cyprus              |                                   15 | Murder, drugs smuggling/possession, physical assault, culpable homicide, traffic accident, burglary, sexual abuse, attempt to murder, drink and driving, etc. |
|       17 | Denmark             |                                    5 | Illegal stay & murder etc.                                                                                                                                    |
|       18 | Egypt               |                                    1 | Drug-trafficking                                                                                                                                              |
|       19 | Fiji                |                                    1 | Drugs                                                                                                                                                         |
|       20 | Finland             |                                    1 | NA                                                                                                                                                            |
|       21 | France              |                                   12 | Attempt to murder, murder, sexual abuse, boarder crossing and fighting with the employer, etc.                                                                |
|       22 | Germany             |                                   51 | NA                                                                                                                                                            |
|       23 | Ghana               |                                    1 | Misappropriation of funds                                                                                                                                     |
|       24 | Greece              |                                   20 | Carrying explosive material, etc.                                                                                                                             |
|       25 | Guatemala           |                                    2 | N/A                                                                                                                                                           |
|       26 | Hungary             |                                    2 | forged visa etc.                                                                                                                                              |
|       27 | Indonesia           |                                   18 | Narcotics etc.                                                                                                                                                |
|       28 | Iran                |                                    2 | Oil smuggling etc.                                                                                                                                            |
|       29 | Iraq                |                                    3 | fake travel document, drug smuggling and impersonation etc.                                                                                                   |
|       30 | Israel              |                                    8 | Murder and visa violation etc.                                                                                                                                |
|       31 | Italy               |                                  154 | NA                                                                                                                                                            |
|       32 | Japan               |                                    7 | Murder cum robbery, narcotics, murder etc.                                                                                                                    |
|       33 | Jordan              |                                    6 | Murder, kidnapping, drug abuse, etc.                                                                                                                          |
|       34 | Korea (Republic of) |                                    2 | fake passport and unfair trade practices etc.                                                                                                                 |

| 35   | Kuwait                   |   483 | Murder, drug charges etc.                                                                   |
|------|--------------------------|-------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 36   | Kyrgyzstan               |     2 | Economic offence and forging educational documents etc.                                     |
| 37   | Lao PDR                  |     2 | Human trafficking and cheating case etc.                                                    |
| 38   | Lebanon                  |     4 | Murder and kidnapping etc.                                                                  |
| 39   | Malaysia                 |   486 | Drug smuggling, immigration violation, murder, rape etc.                                    |
| 40   | Maldives                 |    14 | Drug-trafficking etc.                                                                       |
| 41   | Mauritius                |     5 | Drug smuggling etc.                                                                         |
| 42   | Mozambique               |     2 | Kidnapping etc.                                                                             |
| 43   | Myanmar                  |    78 | Immigration offence etc.                                                                    |
| 44   | Nepal                    |   886 | Murder, rape, drugs and arms smuggling, robbery, kidnapping, organized crime etc.           |
| 45   | Netherlands              |     1 | Murder                                                                                      |
| 46   | New Zealand              |    13 | NA                                                                                          |
| 47   | Nigeria                  |     1 | Oil smuggling                                                                               |
| 48   | Oman                     |    59 | Drugs smuggling, oil smuggling and fight with employers etc.                                |
| 49   | Pakistan                 |   536 | Illegal stay and illegal boarder crossing etc.                                              |
| 50   | Panama                   |     1 | Human trafficking                                                                           |
| 51   | Phillipines              |    24 | Kidnapping, murder, narcotics etc.                                                          |
| 52   | Poland                   |     6 | sexual abuse, murder etc.                                                                   |
| 53   | Portugal                 |     5 | Murder, drug-trafficking etc.                                                               |
| 54   | Qatar                    |   212 | Check bounced, drug-trafficking, murder, bribery etc.                                       |
| 55   | Russian Federation       |     7 | drugs smuggling, financial fraud, selling fake drugs, illegal boarder crossing, murder etc. |
| 56   | Saudi Arabia             |  2224 | Alcohol, accident, bribery, cheating, drugs, murder, kidnapping etc.                        |
| 57   | Serbia                   |     2 | fake passport etc.                                                                          |
| 58   | Senegal                  |     1 | Cheating                                                                                    |
| 59   | Singapore                |   101 | Commercial crime, drug offence, property dispute, traffic offence etc.                      |
| 60   | South Africa             |     3 | Economic offence, murder and sexual offences etc.                                           |
| 61   | Spain                    |    37 | N/A                                                                                         |
| 62   | Sri Lanka                |    72 | Drug and gold smuggling, human trafficking, visa violation and IT fraud etc.                |
| 63   | Tanzania                 |     1 | Murder                                                                                      |
| 64   | Thailand                 |    43 | NA                                                                                          |
| 65   | Turkey                   |     2 | Kidnapping, terrorism etc.                                                                  |
| 66   | Uganda                   |     1 | Embezzlement of funds                                                                       |
| 67   | United Arab Emirates     |  1606 | Murder, drugs, alcohol, cheque bounced, financial frauds etc.                               |
| 68   | United Kingdom           |   373 | NA                                                                                          |
| 69   | Ukraine                  |     1 | financial fraud                                                                             |
| 70   | United States of America |   313 | Illegal stay and various crimes etc.                                                        |
| 71   | Vietnam                  |     1 | Robbery                                                                                     |
|      | Total                    |  8567 |                                                                                             |

- *****