Just one UAE national is prisoner in Indian jails

About 1,200 Indian prisoners including 40 women prisoners will get a chance to serve the rest of their sentences back home if an agreement formalised between the UAE and India is inked by next November, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, MK Lokesh said. 

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, the ambassador said an agreement for prisoner exchange has been ready and the embassy has already recommended a date for the formal signing of the agreement. The opinion of various agencies and government departments have been sought before finalising the deal. 

“There are about 1,200 convicted Indian prisoners in UAE jails including about 40 women prisoners. There is only one UAE prisoner serving term in an Indian jail. So the agreement will help the UAE to help Indian prisoners to serve their remaining terms in Indian jails.”

He said the one UAE national serving prison term in India may also be exchanged. 

“We cannot disclose details of the UAE prisoner in the Indian jail. It is a classified crime,” said Indian Consul General Sanjay Verma.

It will take a year for completing the formalities, but the agreement is under the active considerations of both the governments. The agreement will benefit those who are serving long term sentances because they can meet their families back home. In 70 to 80 per cent cases, Indian prisoners have an option to serve their remaining jail terms in the UAE or in India,” the officials said. 

Social workers said the number of convicted prisoners could be 1,200, but that may not include the number under trial or in various police stations. 

Regarding the 17 Indians whose death sentence in Sharjah was withdrawn, the Indian envoy: “We are relieved that their death sentences are over. Now there are some minor technical issues, which will be resolved at the Supreme Court level. It is a judicial issue and we have to respect the judicial decisions here.” 

The ambassador said the Indian workers welfare center, inaugurated by the Indian president  Prathibha Patil, has already received about 17,000 distress calls from workers, and many of them are handled by the outsourced company.

Reacting to complaints that the system is not helping ordinary workers and the people at the receiving end keep passing the buck, the concerned officials said: “There may be individual cases where some people may have complaints because there are about 2 million Indians here. We have been trying to solve most of the problems. 

Normally a supervisor gets back to the distressed worker and such interaction is routed through the embassy or consulate.” 

He said it has reduced the burden on the embassy and consular staff, which can devote their time for other assignments. 

The ambassador said the Indian Consulate in Dubai has already got a fund of Dh6 million and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has Dh1.1 million for welfare programmes. We have enough funds.”

The surplus fund is generated from a minor charge taken from passport applicants and other means. This fund is normally used to repatriate stranded Indian workers, to give them medical aid and transport support and legal assistance.

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