India to frame law to tackle NRI wedding issues; those who abandon wives may face action

New Delhi, Jul 28: The Centre is in the process of framing a new law to tackle problems in NRI marriages and provide for deterrent measures like confiscating the property of NRIs who have abandoned their wives and illegally married abroad.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that the government will enact a law, 'Summons and Warrants Against Indian People Living Abroad', during the next session of Parliament.

"Government will make a law, 'Summons and Warrants Against Indian People Living Abroad', in next session of Parliament which will make provision of confiscating property of NRIs who have abandoned their wives in India and illegally married abroad," Swaraj said at a seminar on "NRI marriages and trafficking of women and children".

She further said that her Ministry will be developing a separate website where summons and warrants against NRIs who have abandoned their wives and have illegally married abroad will be uploaded.

"The law will enable online serving of summons/warrants against NRIs who have abandoned their wives and have illegally married abroad through a new MEA website. We will upload summons and warrants on the website and those not responding to it will be declared a proclaimed offender and his properties would be seized," she said.

The External Affairs Minister said that under the new law, the passport of the person will be canceled along with the confiscation of the property.

Swaraj also said that the external affairs ministry is in talks with the law and home ministries and all efforts are being made to ensure that a law is in place by the end of this year.

"We will not only cancel the passport but also confiscate the property. And NRIs who don't return, their property could be sold to give financial aid to their aggrieved wives. We will have to make some amendments in the Code of Criminal Procedure," she added.

According to the MEA, 3,328 complaints were received during the last three years from Indian women who have been deserted by their NRI husbands.

"We are acting tough in 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," Swaraj said.