New Delhi:
A plane carrying several Indian passengers held near Paris on suspicion of human trafficking will be allowed to depart today, a French court ruled on Sunday. However, it is not clear whether the plane will return to India.
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The charter plane to Nicaragua has 303 passengers, mostly Indians and at least 11 unaccompanied minors. An anonymous tip that they were potential victims of human trafficking led to the plane having to land at Vatry Airport when it arrived from Dubai to refuel.
French prosecutors allowed the Airbus A340 to leave France on Sunday after questioning passengers for two days, the local prefecture said in a statement, adding that full approval for its departure was expected today. The statement did not mention what goal they will achieve.
Francois Procureur, president of the local bar association, told a news conference that the passengers would be flown to India. There was no statement from Indian authorities confirming this.
French courts have the power to extend the detention of foreigners detained upon arrival in the country. In exceptional cases, a judge can extend detention for eight days at once and for a total of up to 26 days.
The Indians were likely workers in the United Arab Emirates who were traveling to the United States or Canada on their way to Nicaragua, AFP news agency reported, citing a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Vatry, in eastern France, is about 150 km from Paris and the airport mainly serves low-cost airlines. The grounded Airbus A340 belongs to a Romanian charter company called Legend Airlines.
The Paris prosecutor said the action came after an anonymous tip that some of the passengers on board the plane were “victims of human trafficking.” Two men were arrested for questioning by a special unit.
The Indian Embassy in France has been granted consular access and is reviewing the situation. It said it was working with the French government to ensure the welfare of the Indian passengers.
The stranded passengers were provided makeshift beds and access to toilets and showers, as well as meals and hot drinks at Vatry airport, an official said. Ten Indian passengers had even applied for asylum, the AFP news agency reported.
A lawyer who claimed she represented Legend Airlines said she was convinced she had done nothing wrong, had committed no crime and was “at the disposal of the French authorities.” She said the airline would take legal action if charges were filed.
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