Iran halts visa-free entry for Indian travellers after rise in trafficking cases
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Tehran: Iran has withdrawn visa-free entry for Indian citizens holding ordinary passports, ending the waiver that had been in place since February this year. The suspension, effective November 22, follows a series of cases in which Indian nationals were reportedly trafficked or kidnapped after being lured to Iran with false promises of employment or transit to other countries.
The visa waiver was introduced as part of Iran’s tourism push for visitors from more than 30 countries, including India, and allowed Indians to stay for up to 15 days once every six months, as reported by Hindustan Times. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the scheme was repeatedly misused by criminal networks working with fraudulent agents, who convinced Indians to travel visa-free for jobs that did not exist.
According to the ministry, several of those who entered Iran under the waiver were abducted on arrival and held for ransom. The government had earlier cautioned travellers that visa-free access was strictly for tourism and did not permit employment of any kind.
With the suspension now in place, Indian nationals will be required to obtain a visa for entry or transit. The MEA said the move aims to curb further exploitation of travellers and urged citizens to avoid agents offering job placements or visa-free routes through Iran.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
