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The 27 Indians who stayed back in France seeking asylum, after the flight carrying over 300 passengers detained in France was allowed to leave, have now been freed. The flight carrying 276 passengers landed in Mumbai on Monday afternoon after it was detained in France’s Chalons-Vatry airport near Paris for four days. The flight was detained on suspicion of human trafficking.
According to a PTI report that quoted local media, the judge ordered the release of all the Indians on formal grounds. The judge stated that the head of the border police at France’s main Charles De Gaulle airport did not refer the case to him within the stipulated time.
“They are therefore free to do as they please, even if they are in an irregular situation on French territory,” the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office told the French newspaper.
Five of the 27 passengers were taken into care of child welfare services as they are minors.
They were all aboard the Nicaragua-bound flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines. The flight that took off from Dubai had stopped at the Vatry airport for refuelling stopover and was subsequently grounded after an anonymous tip-off. Two of the passengers were also questioned by the police over suspected human trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, along with Mumbai Police, has taken up the investigation into the grounded plane. Officials have sought a detailed report of the interrogation conducted by the airport security personnel. The cell has sought a detailed inquiry into the matter.
In a letter addressed to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Maharashtra anti-human trafficking cell has sought details of the CISF-led brief interrogation of the returnees upon their arrival in Mumbai. The letter stated that upon disembarking from the plane, the passengers were questioned by the CISF and it requested a report on the same. The probe will reportedly look into the details of the passengers and the circumstances surrounding their travel.
(With inputs from Dipesh D Tripathi)
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