A senior lawyer and member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Virendra Vashistha, has filed a petition before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), expressing concern over the treatment of Indian migrants deported from the United States.
In his letter to the commission, Vashistha stated that the deportees were restrained in handcuffs and shackles and transported on a US military aircraft. Vashistha wrote, “We only use this method for dangerous criminals, which is a serious violation of fundamental human rights.”
Vashistha said that the deportees remained in restraint throughout the journey, despite their only offence being illegal migration. He stated that such measures caused physical pain, psychological distress, and emotional trauma. He referred to United Nations human rights standards, which prohibit the use of force on non-violent individuals. “Placing deported individuals in handcuffs and shackles without any security threat is degrading, inhuman, and unjustified,” he said.
He urged the NHRC to investigate the matter and document the experiences of those affected. He called on the Ministry of External Affairs to raise the issue with the US government and ensure accountability. He also requested that those who returned receive medical and psychological support. “Human rights organisations must take note of this to prevent such incidents in the future,” he wrote. “The NHRC must intervene immediately to protect the dignity of Indian citizens. It is unacceptable to place non-violent deportees in restraints, and this must be strongly condemned,” he added.
On Wednesday, a US military aircraft carrying 104 deported immigrants arrived in India. The deportees included 33 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. The returnees claimed that they were kept in handcuffs and shackles throughout the journey.