3,768 complaints from Indian women abroad against NRI husbands during 2014-17

NEW DELHI: The Indians missions and posts abroad received 3,768 petitions from distressed Indian women on complaints related to dowry and ill-treatment by NRI husbands during 2014-17, the government on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, V K Singh, minister of state in the external affairs ministry, said in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Indian missions abroad received 276, 796 and 1,510 dowry-related and ill-treatment complaints respectively. In 2017, the missions received 1,186 complaints, Singh added.

"The ministry including the Indian Missions/ posts have assisted the Indian women distressed by NRI spouses by way of providing them counselling, guidance and information about procedures, mechanisms for serving judicial summons on the overseas Indian husband," Singh said.

He added that help like filing a case in India, issuing lookout notice, impounding and revocation of Indian passport of the husband, getting access to lawyers and NGOs empanelled with Indian missions, and legal and financial assistance under the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) are also provided to the distressed women.

Replying to another question on the inclusion of Hindi as an official language at the United Nations, M J Akbar, minister of state in the external affairs ministry, said the government continues to take measures for acceptance of Hindi as one of the official languages of the UN and to popularise it worldwide.