CHENNAI: Nearly seven months after the Madras High Court set aside her conviction in a drug case, a 57-year-old South African woman continues to remain confined in a Foreigners Special Camp in Trichy, even as deportation proceedings directed by the court remain pending.
Princess, who was acquitted by the High Court on August 29, 2025, has not been deported to her home country despite clear judicial directions. She was shifted from prison to the Foreigners Special Camp in Kottapattu, where she continues to stay with no clarity on when she will be allowed to leave India. Deportation of foreign nationals is processed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), under whose orders she continues to remain in the camp.
A movement restriction order issued by the FRRO on August 30, 2025, continues to keep her confined in the camp, even after her acquittal and restoration of travel documents. Despite this, the deportation process has remained stuck at the stage of FRRO clearance, with no timeline indicated so far.
Sources indicated that a pending FIR may have contributed to the delay in granting deportation clearance. The case was registered in April 2025 over an alleged assault on a fellow inmate inside the Puzhal women’s prison following a verbal altercation.
Police records show that a case was registered at the Puzhal police station under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (a provision dealing with causing hurt or physical assault) based on a complaint by prison authorities. While the FIR was registered on April 9, 2025, the case was taken on file only on March 30, 2026 before the Madhavaram Magistrate Court, nearly a year later. It has since been adjourned to April 10, raising questions over its impact on the deportation process. Police officials told TNIE the delay was due to the e-filing process, but sources attributed it to negligence in handling the case.
Msomi was arrested in 2017 after the Narcotics Control Bureau seized over 1 kg of cocaine, reportedly worth Rs 5 crore, from her at the Chennai airport. She was later convicted by a special NDPS court in 2020. She spent nearly eight years in custody, including over five years as a convict, before being acquitted in 2025, bringing an end to a prolonged criminal case.
The High Court set aside her conviction citing multiple procedural lapses by the prosecution, including non-compliance with mandatory provisions of the NDPS Act, lack of proper medical evidence, and irregularities in search and seizure. The court observed that mandatory safeguards under the law had not been properly followed, rendering the conviction unsustainable and leading to her acquittal.
With no progress, she approached the Madurai Bench of the High Court earlier this year. On February 18, 2026, the court directed the FRRO to consider her representation and pass appropriate orders within six weeks. The deadline has since lapsed without any visible action from authorities.
“Whatever prison offence may have been committed by a prisoner cannot be a reason for prolonged incarceration. It is a compoundable offence, and any punishment can be undergone along with the main sentence,” said advocate K R Raja.
In a representation sent on March 20 to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and the FRRO in Chennai, advocate K R Raja, also founder of Global Network for Equality, flagged the delay as a violation of her fundamental rights, stating that authorities have failed to act on court directions.
Her counsel also pointed to her deteriorating health, stating that she suffers from a chronic medical condition requiring continuous care and adequate nutrition, which are allegedly lacking at the camp. Notably, in 2019, the Madras High Court had directed prison authorities to provide her with continuous medical care and a special diet, observing that even foreign prisoners are entitled to protection under Article 21 of the Constitution.
“Keeping a person with a chronic illness in such a camp without proper nutrition for their health condition is not acceptable,” said human rights activist Henri Tiphange.
Calling the situation “illegal and arbitrary,” the representation urges authorities to immediately complete the deportation process and ensure proper medical care until she is able to return home. Queries sent to the FRRO in Chennai on the delay did not elicit a response.