The External Affairs Ministry and Home Ministry along with state governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been served notices by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over alleged illegal detention of a woman passenger at the Chennai Airport in 2014.
According to the commission, the woman, Sarah Thomas, alleged that she had been "illegally detained" at Chennai Airport on October 29, 2014 and subjected to "mental and physical torture" because of negligence and procedural irregularities by the officers of Immigration Department, Tamil Nadu police and Kerala police.
NHRC has sought explanation from the authorities concerned as to why it should not recommend payment of monetary relief to the victim and disciplinary action against the erring officials, who have been named in the complaint.
The Secretaries of External Affairs, Home Affairs Ministries and Tamil Nadu, Kerala Chief Secretaries and DGPs have been asked to submit a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
The commission observed that Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, in a report dated May 21, 2015, had accepted the gross negligence of the immigration authorities.
"The immigration officials mistakenly came to the conclusion that she was the accused Sarah Williams on whose name LOC was issued. The gross negligence of the immigration officers led to this unpleasant situation," the report said.
