Women want transnational laws for runaway NRI husbands’ extradition

THE GOVERNMENT RECENTLY CANCELLED PASSPORTS OF 33 NRIS FOR ABANDONING THEIR WIVES, AN OFFICIAL SAID

NEWDELHI:PARMINDER Kaur (name changed) says she had a fairytale wedding in 2015 and the next 40 days were the best of her life. But after her husband left for Canada to resume his studies, things changed. Her in-laws regularly assaulted her — both verbally and physically — and demanded dowry of ₹1 lakh every month from her parents.

“They told my parents they need the money to feed me and when my parents refused to pay, they used to abuse me,” she said. Then one day, her in-laws fled to Canada and that was the last she heard from them or her husband who remarried after giving ex-parte divorce to 19-year-old Parminder. Now, she and some other women, who share the same plight, want special transnational laws that could make extradition of absconding husbands possible.

The government recently cancelled passports of 33 non-resident Indians (NRIS) for abandoning their wives, an official said. The Integrated Nodal Agency made to look into the matter has been issuing lookout circulars to absconding husbands in cases of NRI marriages and till now, eight circulars have been issued and 33 passports impounded by the external affairs ministry, a senior official said. The Union ministry of women and child development has also said that a detailed proposal, including points like mandatory registration of NRI marriages within a week with penal consequences for non-registration, would be placed before the cabinet for approval.

Shilpa (name changed), 30, was working with an IT company before marrying in 2010 and migrating to the US. “As soon as I landed in California, my husband took away my documents and money. He raped me regularly before throwing me out on the street. I was left with nothing and was forced to return,” she said. She now lives with her eightyear-old daughter in Delhi. She lodged a complaint with the police but her husband has not returned since.

Smriti (name changed) was another victim who was abandoned by her husband in Melbourne, following which she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and still suffer from it. This is what abandonment does to you. You live in the aftermath of sexual assault, deceit from a person you loved the most,” she said.

Women deserted by NRI husbands also demand that there is a need to bring larger group of offences like rape, assault, fraud and deceit under Section 498-A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the IPC that could lead to extradition of the absconders possible.

At present, abandonment of wives is registered under Section 498A of the IPC and 406 (criminal breach of trust). The government had said last month that it will introduce a bill in the winter session of Parliament for more stern measures against non-resident Indian husbands abandoning their wives in India. But till now no such bill has been tabled.