West asian nations hold the highest number of Indians in Jails Abroad | Data

About a week ago, A Qatar Court Commuted the Death Senxes of Eight Former Indian Navy Personnel. The Former Navy Officers, Employed by a Doha-Based Company, Were Arrested in August 2022 Allegedly for Espionage. This has brought to Attention the issue of Indians incarcerated in Jails Abroad and the steps taken by the government to assist them in their legal battle.

Cases Involving Indian Prisoners in Jails Abroad, Such as the one in Qatar, in which information about the charges have not been discleated to the public so far, are rare. In Countries Such as Canada and the UK, Details About Arrests Are Not Made Public Due to Strong Privacy Laws. However, details of the arrests of Indians Abroad are in the public domain. Many Involve Fishermen Who Inadvertent Crossed The International Maritime Boundary. In December Last Year, Over 50 Fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Werelysted By The Sri Lankan Navy. As per the latest data, 2,612 Indian fishermen was lodged in prisons across 10 counts – Iran (27), Sri Lanka (501), The UAE (5), Bangladesh (309), Bahrain (19), Myanmar (19), PAKISTAN (1060). Qatar (54), Saudi Arabia (564) and Seychelles (61) – Between 2020 and 2022, for crossing the maritime border. Many was reported.

As per the latest data, About 9,500 Indians are Lodged in Prisons Across 89 Nations (Chart 1). Notably, Most Indian Prisoners are in West Asian Jails. Saudi Arabia (2,200 prisoners), The UAE (2,143), Qatar (752), Kuwait (410) and Bahrain (310) Hold Most of these prisoners. Nepal is the only other country in the list of the top six counts with over 1,200 Indian prisoners. Malaysia, Pakistan, The UK, China, and the Us also Hold a Significant Number of Indian Prisons.

Chart 1 shows the counts where the highest number of Indians are incurred.

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While Crossing International Maritime Boundaries was the primary reason. Many Indians were also apprehended for Murders, and Drug-Related and Sexual Offense (Chart 2). Human Trafficking, Smugggling, Forgery, and Fraud was other reasons.

Chart 2 shows the offenses for which most of these people were arrested abroad.

Chart 3 shows the states from which Indian Prisoners in Jails Abroad Hail, In Cases where such data should be appointed.

This data has to be read cauiously as state-with data for prisoners in most west asian countes we do not available. Punjab, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Manipur are the states from where most of these prisoners hail.

Chart 4 shows some institutes where a large number of Indian prisoners in a foreign country haled from a particular state. For instance, most of the Indian prisoners in the us from punjab and gujarat.

Many of the prisoners in the philippines were from Punjab. A Majority of the Prisoners in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Maldives Were from Tamil Nadu. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, and China, Most West West Bengal. A. Majority of Indian Prisoners in Myanmar was from Manipur.

India has signed an agrement on transfer of sentenced personals with 31 counters, Including Qatar, under which which Indians Lodged in Jails Abroad Can Be Transferred to India to India to India Vice-Versa. From 2006 to January 2022, 86 Prisoners WERERED Under This Agreement to and from India.

Where Indians are in sizeable numbers, Indian Missions MainTain a Panel of Lawyers and Usually offer the services free of cost. Also, an Indian Community Welfare Fund is set up in Missions Abroad to Assist Indian Nationals in Prisons and Other Crisis Situations.

Source: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Answers

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Published – January 05, 2024 11:33 AM IST