Abandoned wives demand mechanism to ensure action against NRI husbands

Women abandoned by their Non-Resident Indian husbands Thursday called on the government to immediately table the bill in Parliament for stern action against men deserting their wives. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on November 28 last year said the government was planning to bring a bill in the winter session of Parliament as part of its efforts to check the menace of NRI husbands abandoning their wives.

Addressing a press conference, the women urged the government to take concrete steps to deal with the issue. "I have been suffering for the last 20 years and I want justice. The government needs to pay attention to us. They should table the bill," a woman said. Another said there needs to be a mechanism in place between Indian and other countries so that the accused husband could not escape the clutches of the law.

On November 13 last year, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking mandatory arrest of NRIs deserting their wives and harassing them for dowry. A group of women, allegedly deserted by their NRI husbands and subjected to dowry harassment, had moved the apex court seeking relief including the mandatory arrest of their estranged spouses and consular help in fighting cases in the foreign land.