Pravasi Legal Cell

Pravasi Legal Cell filed a PIL in the High Court of Delhi challenging Air India’s decision to enforce a rule that mandates 48-hour prior notice to the airport health officer about the arrival of dead bodies or ashes.  The 63-year-old rule, when implemented can cause much trouble to the families of the dead. It was further claimed that if this rule subsists then it would be a denial of rights to both the deceased and his family as it is unnecessarily delaying the repatriation of the dead body by another 48 hours. This issue was taken up by the Pravasi Legal Cell as the existing rule of the aircraft creates hardships to the NRI’s and to their families in India as the right to proper and dignified burial is vitiated since the burial gets delayed. The Division Bench of Hon’ble acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Hon’ble Mr. Justice C. Hari Shankar of The High Court of Delhi heard the matter and vide order dated 31 st July 2017 issued notice to the Ministries of Healt...

The office bearers of Pravasi legal cell met Ms. Swati Maliwal, Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, Government of Delhi and submitted a representation covering issues regarding marriages of Indians overseas. Pravasi Legal Cell has been receiving requests for help from persons affected with issues rising from marriages overseas. As the government sought views and suggestions from the public, the public on problems related to marriages abroad, Pravasi Legal Cell in it meeting held on 16th July decided to make a representation to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India and the Delhi Government's Department of Women & Child Development. On 27th July 2017, the President and Vice-President along with a Member of Pravasi Legal Cell met Ms. Maliwal and submitted a representation. It was well received and the Society was asked to make a detailed presentation on the same at a later stage.

The Pravasi Legal Cell had filed a writ petitions before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi on behalf of Noushaba Bano whose husband died in Saudi Arabia in March 2015. Naushaba Bano had received information from co-workers of her husband that he was brutally murdered by his sponsor in Saudi Arabia on requesting vacation for visiting home in India. The sponsor allegedly video graphed the murder and showed it to other workers threatening them with same fate on wanting to go back to India. Medical records from Saudi Arabia showed hanging as the cause of death. That despite completion of more than nine months from the date of death, the mortal remains of the deceased had not been repatriated, the widow approached Delhi High Court and the Court directed Union of India to bring back the mortal remains within a month. Even after waiting for 3 months from the date of the said order, the dead body was not brought back, and then she filed a contempt petition before the Delhi High Court,...