Virendra Vashishth, a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association and a senior advocate, has voiced grave concerns to the NHRC about the cruel treatment faced by Indian expatriates deported from the US. His letter outlines that recently Indians were returned shackled in chains aboard a military plane, typically a measure for dangerous criminals, marking a stark violation of basic human rights.
Vashishth's letter describes the humiliating experience for detainees, who were chained throughout the flight as if they were criminals, though their only 'offense' was illegal immigration. Such harsh treatment inflicted physical pain, mental trauma, and emotional stress. According to the UN's human rights regulations, using such force against nonviolent individuals is illegal. Without any security threats, such measures were degrading, inhumane, and unwarranted.
Source: aajtak
Requests to NHRC
Vashishth urged NHRC to conduct a thorough investigation and document the experiences of those affected. He called upon the Ministry of External Affairs to address this issue with the US and hold parties accountable. He also recommended that returned Indians receive appropriate medical and psychological aid and advocated taking this issue to human rights organizations to prevent future occurrences.
Vashishth appealed for NHRC's immediate intervention to protect the dignity of Indian citizens. He stated that the restraint of nonviolent deportees in chains is unacceptable and deserves strong condemnation.
104 Returned to India on Wednesday
In a policy shift, the Trump administration has been strictly dealing with illegal immigrants, initiating deportations. On Wednesday, a military aircraft carrying 104 such individuals arrived in India. This represents the first batch under the Trump administration's deportation wave. Among the deportees were 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. All reported being restrained in handcuffs and chains throughout the journey.
