Madras HC grants respite to British tourist stranded in India

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently granted relief to a British tourist, who was stranded in India during the Covid-19 pandemic, by waiving the penalty imposed on him when he sought an exit permit to return to his country.

According to an order passed by Justice GR Swaminathan, Timothy Donald Archer came to India as a tourist on November 7, 2019. He had also arranged his return flight ticket but was unable to go back due to the pandemic. When he expressed interest to leave the country last year, the Indian government was ready to give him an exit permit but told him to pay Visa charges and a penalty for overstaying in the country.

Pointing out that payment of the penalty would affect his chances of obtaining travel documents from other countries in the future and would create an impression that he had deliberately overstayed and breached the terms of the travel visa, Archer moved the high court seeking direction to waive the penalty.  

Hearing the plea, Justice Swaminathan noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs had made an announcement that foreign nationals who got stranded in India on account of the pandemic would be granted exit permits without any penalty for overstaying. He, therefore, directed the Bureau of Immigration to issue an exit permit to Archer expeditiously, without imposing a penalty.