Sold Abroad? Punjab and Haryana High Court orders urgent measures to verify wellbeing of woman in Bahrain

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, June 5

The Punjab and Haryana High has ordered urgent measures to verify the wellbeing of a woman allegedly sold by her live-in partner in Bahrain. Justice Alok Jain ordered the immediate forwarding of her address to the Indian Embassy to check on her welfare after asking the parents and the SHO concerned to convene a video call for recording the complete details.

Acting on her parents’ plea, Justice Jain directed the submission of the details to the Ministry concerned within 15 days after the call, enabling the embassy to take prompt action on its basis. The direction came after the counsel for the Union of India told the Bench that the detainee was made to contact with her parents through a video call. But it was not possible for the Indian Embassy to contact and check on her in the absence of address.

Justice Jain was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the parents based on a video call and communication received from the detainee alleging that she was sold by her live-in partner in Bahrain and was likely to be eliminated anytime.

The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, directed the Union of India to make certain that the Indian Embassy in Qatar inquired into the matter with promptitude while ensuring the woman’s wellbeing. The Bench also directed the Union of India to arrange a video call between the woman in Bahrain and her parents for the “correct position” to emerge.

The direction followed the submission of an affidavit by Phillaur DSP Sarvanjit Singh. Among other things, the affidavit detailed that the woman travelled to Bahrain on March 9 with her partner following her the next day.

The Bench was also told during the course of hearing that she initially went to Oman before travelling directly to Bahrain as per the available records. “As per the email received from the detainee, it has been recorded that she had posted a video on social media because of her despondency. But, thereafter, she had deleted the video and has also stated that the petitioners have been calling her and asking her to return to India,” the counsel for the Union of India added.

Responding to the submissions, the counsel for the parents, Prikshit Thakur, suggested the arrangement of a video call between them and the alleged detainee by the authorities concerned. He added the parents would be present at the police station concerned at the time the authorities contacted her.