NEW DELHI: A 50-year-old Czech woman, who illegally entered India from Nepal after she was allegedly tortured by a Buddhist leader there, was rescued and sent back to her country, the Delhi Commission for Women said on Tuesday.
According to the Commission, the foreigner lost all her papers, passport, visa and money in the process of entering India.
“On reaching Delhi, she approached the Czech embassy for getting herself an emergency passport, but they could not help in arranging a visa for her repatriation,” the Commission said, adding the foreigner then e-mailed to DCW chief Swati Maliwal for help.
The woman told the DCW that she had joined a Buddhist sect in Nepal in 2012 after the untimely death of her son in her country. The woman alleged that she was chained and subjected to all kinds of abuse there.
The Czech woman claimed she managed to escape and returned home with the help of a few foreign tourists. She returned to Nepal after four months to ‘save’ other women from falling prey, according to the Commission. “She spent four years running from pillar to post, but failed to move any authority against the well-connected Buddhist leader...over time, her friends who were financially supporting her in her quest for justice, backed off,” the DCW stated.
It added Czech woman was reduced to penury and could not renew her visa so she started living as an illegal immigrant. In December 2018, some German tourists came to her rescue and helped her cross over to India.
“It took a few visits to the visa office and a lot of convincing by DCW staff before her visa application was accepted. Once the visa was issued, she left India and is now safely back in her country,” the Commission said.