Sushma Swaraj: New law to tackle problems in NRI marriages

Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that her ministry is framing a new law to tackle the problem in NRI marriages and providing for deterrent measures like confiscating the property of NRIs who have abandoned their wives.

At a seminar on "NRI marriages and trafficking of women and children", she said that a new bill is likely to be taken up in the next session of Parliament.

"We are also developing a separate website where summons and warrants against NRI men who have abandoned their wives and have illegally married abroad will be uploaded. Those responding to it will be declared a proclaimed offender and his properties would be seized," she added.

Sushma Swaraj said that under the new law the passport of the person will be cancelled and the property will also be confiscated.

"And if he doesn't return, his property could be sold to give financial aid to his aggrieved wife. We will have to make some amendments in the Code of Criminal Procedure. We are already in talks with Law and Home ministry and all efforts are being made to ensure that a law is in place by the end of this year," she said.

In last three years, the MEA has received 3,328 complaints from Indian women who have been deserted by their NRI husbands.

"We are acting tough on such cases. For a start, the passports of eight NRI men accused of abandoning their wives have been cancelled. The accused whose passports were revoked have surrendered," Sushma Swaraj added.

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