Matrimonial disputes: MEA website to display summons to NRI husbands
New Delhi, June 13: In order to create a stronger deterrent for NRIs who have abandon their wives in India, the Ministry of External Affairs will now display the summons to such men on their official website, an official said on Wednesday.
The decision was taken among other legal solutions for redressing the issues faced by women in NRI marriages at a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and attended by officials from the External Affairs, Law and Justice and Women and Child Development Ministry.
"We (Women and Child Development Ministry) are grateful to Rajnath Singh, (External Affairs Minister) Sushma Swaraj and (Law and Justice Minister) Ravi Shankar Prasad for enumerating fine details on ways to resolve the issue of NRI marriages," said the Women and Child Development Ministry in a tweet.
"We are working towards putting in place an efficient mechanism that will provide immediate relief to women in troubled NRI marriages," it added.
However, according to sources, the Law Ministry previously did not approve of displaying the summons of NRI marriages on the MEA website and also clashed with the Women and Child Development Ministry over impounding passports and confiscation of the property of those NRI husbands who have been found guilty of deserting their wives and failed to appear in the court.
Last month, the External Affairs Ministry has revoked passports of five NRIs against whom Look-out-Circulars (LoC) were issued by Integrated Nodal Agency (INA) - an inter-ministerial body headed by Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Srivastava, formed to deal with matrimonial disputes.
The Women and Child Development Ministry had earlier said that it has received 40 cases related to matrimonial disputes relating to NRIs, of which six were found to be serious and LoC issued.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi also pitched for issuing orders for registering NRI marriages with 48 hours else the visa or passport of the husbands will not be issued.
According to the ministry, in criminal matters involving NRIs, the LoC can be issued by the investigating agency in cognisable offences when the overseas husband is deliberately evading arrest or not appearing in the trial court despite non-bailable warrants and other coercive measures, or there is a likelihood that he will leave the country to evade trial or arrest.
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31 students test positive during anti-drug screening drive in educational institutions in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Thirty-one students tested positive during an anti-drug screening drive conducted in educational institutions in Vijayanagar area of the city, police said on Thursday.
The drive was conducted as part of Karnataka State Police department's newly introduced initiative called "Sanmitra" aimed to address the serious issue of drug addiction, which has been severely impacting the youth across the state, they said.
This initiative aims to adopt a transformative approach to find solutions and take compassionate steps towards building a drug-free society, police said.
According to police, as part of this directive, on March 4, under the leadership of DCP West Division Yatheesh N, inspections related to drug consumption were conducted within the limits of Vijayanagar Sub-Division police stations under Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate.
With the consent and no-objection certificates obtained from the management of six educational institutions and two hostels, inspections and checks were carried out.
"Urine samples were collected from more than 1,200 students, out of which 585 samples were randomly tested, and 31 samples were found to be positive," police said in a statement.
The operation was conducted with the full cooperation of officers and staff of local police stations, along with doctors, technicians, and staff from nearby hospitals, police said.
Necessary arrangements will be made to provide counseling with mental health professionals and to ensure required medical support for those in need, they said.
The identity and family details of individuals tested will be kept strictly confidential, police assured.
