New Delhi: Nearly 8,000 Indians are lodged in foreign jails as of January 15, 2022, Minister of State (MoS), External Affairs V Muralidharan said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. He also said that from 2006 till January 2022, 86 prisoners including 75 Indians have been transferred under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003 to serve the remainder of their sentences.
"As per the information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners in foreign jails as of 15.01.2022 is 7925, which also includes under-trials," the MoS stated in a written reply.
According to the statistics presented by him, the highest number of such Indian prisoners abroad are in the United Arab Emirates (1663), followed by Saudi Arabi (1363) and Nepal(1039).
Replying to questions on the number of Indian expatriates facing trial or convicted in Gulf countries, the MoS stated in a separate reply "As per information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in jails of Gulf countries is as follows: United Arab Emirates (1663), Saudi Arabia (1363), Qatar (466), Kuwait (460), Bahrain (63), Oman (45)."
"The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and well- being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in the foreign jails. Indian Missions / Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the incidents of Indian nationals detained/jailed. Apart from extending them all possible consular assistance, Indian Missions and Posts also assist in providing legal aid wherever needed," he added.
