Not All Gujarati Passengers Willing to Return To India After Plane Grounded In France: Reports

Four days following the grounding of a plane transporting 303 Indians, including 96 individuals from Gujarat, France has granted permission for its departure from Vatry airport, situated 150km from Paris. The plane is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday.

However, it is reported that not all the Gujaratis are eager to return to India. Several are insistent on heading to Nicaragua, and approximately 12 passengers are seeking asylum in France. “These passengers had legitimate visas for Dubai and Nicaragua, and they had also paid their agent to hire a chartered flight. Hence, they were not willing to return to their country,” stated a source with a relative among the 96 Gujaratis.

On Friday, France grounded the Nicaragua-bound flight on suspicion of “human trafficking,” detaining the aircraft following a tip-off about its purported transportation of illegal immigrants from the United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday, a court was established at Vatry airport, ordering the passengers’ release and allowing the flight to proceed to Mumbai. Initially presumed that all 303 passengers would land in India, sources familiar with the situation revealed that passengers from Kalol and Mehsana in North Gujarat were unwilling to return.

The passengers, having legitimate visas, intend to seek asylum in the country where they are detained. “Their agents, who are from North Gujarat, told them to seek asylum on the grounds of persecution. So even if they are caught, they will not be deported to India,” added the source.

The alleged orchestrator of the operation, Shashi Kiran Reddy from Hyderabad, is believed to be arranging chartered flights from Dubai to Nicaragua, facilitating illegal transportation to the US via road and sea. Reddy, previously implicated in the Dingucha case, was released by Gujarat police due to insufficient evidence.

The crackdown against human trafficking intensified after the discovery of the bodies of Dingucha residents Jagdish Patel, 39, Vaishali, 37, and their two children near the Canada-US border on January 19, 2022. Collaborative efforts by agencies in India, Canada, and the US ensued in response to the tragic incident.