Following complaints from wives of NRIs on harassment or desertion, in May, the Ministry of External Affairs constituted a committee to look into various legal and regulatory challenges to such cases of domestic violence.
In its report, the panel recommended the extradition of NRI spouses to India for trial, the Hindustan Times reported.
“At present, when it comes to desertion, domestic violence or dowry harassment cases, it is next to impossible to get the man to return for facing legal proceedings,” a source from within the committee told Hindustan Times.
If the MEA accepts the committee’s recommendation, it might help abandoned or abused wives seek justice, especially since EAM Sushma Swaraj and WCD minister Maneka Gandhi have taken up the cause themselves.
The panel also recommended raise the monetary assistance provided by Indian missions to such deserted wives from $3,000 to $6,000, which will help them avail legal help in foreign lands.
In 2014, the National Commission for Women received 346 complaints from wives but the Ministry of Women and Child Development claim that the actual numbers are much higher as only few women lodge complaints.
Another recommendation made by the committee was the compulsory registration of all marriages especially NRI marriages by the states until more stringent laws are in order.
(#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to editor@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)