Centre confirms mistreatment of Indian deportee from US, rejects handcuff claim in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: A discussion on the alleged “maltreatment and handcuffing” of Indian nationals deported from the US dominated Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, after Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman from Uttar Pradesh raised concerns over the treatment of deportees.

He criticised the government’s assertion that no Indian had been handcuffed, citing a case of 73-year-old Harjeet Kaur, who he claimed was not only mistreated but also deported in handcuffs.

Suman further highlighted the expanding network of illegal travel agents who send Indians abroad through unsafe and exploitative routes and asked the government to clarify on steps it had taken against such a network.

Responding to the issue, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar clarified details regarding the case of Harjeet Kaur, an elderly woman deported from the US, whose alleged handcuffing had triggered outrage.

EAM Jaishankar said the government had thoroughly examined the matter. “Her own lawyer has stated on record that she was not handcuffed. One officer considered it, but another stopped him because of her age,” he said. However, the Minister confirmed that Kaur had been maltreated during detention before being placed on the flight.

“Whenever a flight carrying deportees arrives — chartered or commercial — our immigration officials interview them. In this case, they confirmed she was not handcuffed. But she was mistreated in detention,” he said.

Jaishankar informed the House that on September 26, India issued a formal note verbale to the US Embassy, expressing “strong concern” over her treatment and urging American authorities to investigate. “We have gone into the matter, clarified the facts, and conveyed our concern to the US Embassy,” he assured.

On the broader issue of illegal migration, the Minister said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered and investigated 27 cases related to human trafficking. The NIA’s anti-human trafficking division, he said, has been actively pursuing traffickers.

“Two major traffickers were arrested in Haryana and Punjab on August 7, and two more in Himachal Pradesh on October 2,” he added. State governments, particularly Punjab, have also intensified action. Punjab has formed a Special Investigation Team and a fact-finding committee.

“As per information shared with us, 25 FIRs have been registered against 58 illegal travel agents, and 16 accused have been arrested,” Jaishankar said.

Haryana has registered 44 FIRs and arrested 27 persons, while Gujarat has arrested a “significant trafficker”.

During a supplementary question, MP Haris Beeran, IUML (Indian Union Muslim League) of Kerala, highlighted challenges faced by Indians travelling legally to the US and suggested amendments to the Immigration Act to empower states to act against illegal recruitment agencies without waiting for central sanction.

Beeran raised concerns over the growing challenges faced by Indian citizens travelling to the US — both those who migrate legally and those who take illegal routes. He highlighted that nearly 6,000 F category visas, primarily F1 student visas, had reportedly been revoked by US authorities.

According to him, many of these cancellations were linked to students’ social media posts, including expressions of solidarity with Gaza.

Responding to the query, the External Affairs Minister explained that the wave of visa revocations began in April 2025, following a new policy announced by the US Secretary of State. “As a result of this policy, even relatively minor offences led to cancellations of student visas, and in many cases, students were pressured to self-deport,” he said.

Jaishankar added that Indian consulates and embassies had intervened wherever possible after receiving direct appeals from affected students, urging US authorities to avoid harsh action for minor infractions. However, he emphasised that visa issuance is a sovereign decision of any government.

The US, he said, had recently reiterated that every visa adjudication is treated as a national security decision, giving them the authority to deny or revoke visas based on their assessment of an individual’s online activity or perceived security implications.

The US government has also publicly stated that student visa applicants may be required to switch their social media accounts from private to public settings to allow scrutiny of their posts.

On Beeran’s suggestion regarding state-level action against illegal recruitment agents, Jaishankar said he did not have the exact figures for Kerala but assured the House that the Centre takes state requests for prosecution sanctions “proactively and seriously”. He added that he would examine the specific cases flagged by the member and convey the ministry’s response.

IANS