P V Abdul Wahab, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala (image-X/AbdulWahabPV)
New Delhi: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP P.V. Abdul Wahab today in the Rajya Sabha raised a question regarding the Indian citizens executed, awaiting execution and languishing in jails abroad. He expressed deep concern and strong condemnation regarding the Union Government’s inadequate efforts in assisting Indian nationals imprisoned abroad.
Citing official data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, Wahab highlighted the sheer magnitude of the crisis, with 10,152 Indian citizens, including undertrials, currently languishing in foreign jails and 47 people executed in the last four years and 49 awaiting executions.
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Calling the government’s response “shockingly insufficient,” Wahab said, “While they claim to prioritise the safety and well-being of Indian nationals abroad, the reality on the ground paints a vastly different picture.
The IUML leader criticised the Union government’s reliance on “consular access” and “pursuing release and repatriation” as mere bureaucratic formalities, failing to address the fundamental issues faced by these vulnerable individuals.
The Rajya Sabha MP highlighed several shortcomings of the Union government when it comes to this matter.
Lack of Transparency and Inadequate Information Sharing: He described the government’s excuse of “strong privacy laws” in foreign countries hindering information sharing as “unacceptable.”
•Insufficient Legal Aid and Support: While the government claims to provide legal aid through the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), the scale of the problem clearly indicates a need for significantly increased resources and proactive legal intervention, he said. Many prisoners lack access to effective legal representation, leading to prolonged detention and unfair trials.
Alarming Number of Death Sentences: The provided data reveals a disturbing number of Indian nationals facing capital punishment in various countries, including Malaysia and Gulf countries, the Rajya Sabha MP added.
Inconsistent Data and Lack of Action in Critical Regions: He further added that the absence of execution data from the UAE, citing a lack of information sharing, highlights the government’s inconsistent approach.
Wahab also highlighted that the number of Indian prisoners in Nepal is also a cause for concern.
“The government’s response appears to be reactive rather than proactive,” Wahab asserted, stating that the centre waits for “information to come to them, rather than actively seeking it out and taking decisive action to protect Indian lives.” Calling it a “passive approach,” he stated that it reflected “a callous disregard for the plight of our citizens abroad.”
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Demands Put Forth
Wahab demanded the Union Government to increase diplomatic efforts to secure the release and repatriation of Indian prisoners, and enhance legal aid and support for Indian prisoners, including access to competent legal representation. He also demanded greater transparency in information sharing regarding the status of Indian prisoners and stronger measures to prevent executions and secure clemency for those facing capital punishment.
Wahab further requested a dedicated task force to address the specific issues of Indian prisoners in high-volume countries.
He urged that the MEA should urgently intervene in the case of nurse Nimisha Priya under humanitarian conditions, as she is awaiting a death sentence in Yemen. Nimisha, 34, was sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, whose dismembered body was found in a water tank. Currently imprisoned in Sana’a, her death sentence was recently approved by Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council.
