Govt to impound passports of NRIs who leave their Indian wives

In an attempt to stop NRI husbands from deserting their wives, the Law Ministry of India has decided to take a slew of measures, which include confiscation of passport and property as suggested by an inter-ministerial group, to prevent and deter such occurrences, an official familiar with developments informed Hindustan Times. 

Women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi’s plan to punish NRI husbands who desert their wives by, among other things, cancelling their passports could hit an interesting hurdle according to a senior law ministry official — her own case, dating back to 1978, in which the SC made it difficult for the state to confiscate or cancel passports.
Indian Women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi’s had plan to punish NRI husbands who desert their wives by, among other things, cancelling their passports could hit an interesting hurdle according to a senior law ministry official — her own case, dating back to 1978, in which the SC made it difficult for the state to confiscate or cancel passports. Photo courtesy: Youtube

“The law ministry’s position has resulted in all efforts made so far coming to a standstill. There will be no deterrent unless stringent steps are taken against … NRI men who have failed to respond to the repeated summons,” the official said.

With more Indians going abroad, it has been observed that more men leave their wives after marrying them in India. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has received 346 complaints from such women in 2014, the latest year for which the numbers are available.

The NCW cases mostly include matters where men prevented women from travelling by keeping their passports, disappearing after marriage, abandoning them in foreign countries and keeping children abroad with no contact with the mother.

The numbers are expected to be higher as only some number of women come out in open, said official of ministry for women and child development.