No role of Indian Immigration in the case of disallowing a Nepali citizen travelling

No role of Indian Immigration in the case of disallowing a Nepali citizen travelling

It has been reported that Ms Shambhavi Adhikari, a citizen of Nepal heading to Berlin was stopped at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and was sent back to Kathmandu. The incident has been wrongly portrayed as bias / discrimination against Nepali citizens.

It is to clarify that the Indian immigration authorities have no role to play in this entire episode. The said passenger arrived from Kathmandu by Air India and was transiting through Delhi. She was stopped while boarding the connecting flight of Qatar Airways. It was the airlines which decided not to let her undertake her onward travel to Germany considering her visa validity and flew her back to Kathmandu. This is usually undertaken in accordance with the destination country rules / requirements. She then rescheduled her travel dates and later travelled taking another route from Kathmandu.

International transit passengers are not required to approach Indian Immigration for their onward journey and this is a matter between the airlines and the passenger with absolutely no role of Indian immigration authorities. 

India values its strong relationship with Nepal and reassures that no Indian authority has any bias or discrimination against citizens of Nepal.