Interpol Issues Blue Corner Notice for Man in UK in 498A Case from Ahmedabad
In a major development, Interpol has issued a blue corner notice against Ronak Pandya, a 43-year-old man originally from Ahmedabad, who fled to the United Kingdom in 2005. He is wanted in a 16-year-old domestic violence and dowry harassment case filed under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code by his wife, Rutva Pandya.
The blue corner notice, which helps collect details on a person’s location or identity from member countries, was issued on June 18, 2022, after an Inspector General informed the Gujarat state government about the pending criminal case.
Ronak’s wife, Rutva, had earlier moved the Gujarat High Court seeking action against her husband, who went missing after filing for mutual divorce in September 2005, just a year after their marriage. She hadn’t seen him since that time, and upon inquiry, her in-laws informed her that he had left for London.
The CID (Crime) discovered that Ronak obtained a fraudulent passport to escape India. The court had earlier declared him an absconder, and his parents were convicted in 2009 under the same 498A case. Despite the Ministry of Home Affairs being hesitant to issue red corner notices for matrimonial cases, Justice Sonia Gokani questioned whether any legal restriction existed on issuing lookout notices in domestic violence cases.
As a result of the blue notice, Rutva’s lawyer, Samirkhan Pathan, withdrew a 2015 petition that demanded Ronak’s return and maintenance payment, as international action had now been initiated.
Rutva had also reached out to Indian and UK High Commissions and the passport authorities, who confirmed that Ronak Pandya was untraceable for years.
This case brings attention to the legal challenges faced by Indian women when their NRI husbands escape legal proceedings by fleeing abroad. The blue corner notice is a step forward in bringing Ronak Pandya back to stand trial.
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