Attention, Husbands: Abandon Wife, And Risk Losing Passport, Says MEA

After receiving various complaints from women regarding their abandonment by NRI husbands, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has shown that the Foreign Ministry, for the past few months has decided on the move to revoke the passports of 25 men against whom lookout circulars (LOCs) have been issued. This move will result in extradition of these men abroad and will ensure that those who are here are unable to leave the country.

As per data, almost 578 women were abandoned by their NRI husbands and they have approached the National Commission For Women (NCW). Since 2009, NCW’s NRI cell has received over 4,000 complaints from women with similar cases of abandonment.

It has been learned from sources that a total of 33 lookout circulars were issued by agencies like the police. Out of these, eight were issued by the integrated nodal agency which has representation from the WCD, foreign and home ministries.

NCW chief Rekha Sharma said, “We need to step up deterrence from the outset by making marriage registration mandatory and bring in provisions to consider court summons as deemed served after the husband does not respond a stipulated number of times and declare him an absconder. Police also need to play a more proactive role in investigation” as reported by TOI.

Complaints have been flowing from all across the nation, except for the states in the north-east. Delhi, Punjab, UP and Haryana are the states with the maximum complaints with 76 complaints from Punjab, 74 from Delhi, 56 from Haryana and 55 from UP.