Video shows man pinned down at Newark airport, Indian consulate in touch with US authorities
The Indian Consulate in New York said they have gotten in touch with authorities in the United States after videos purportedly showing 'an Indian student' being handcuffed and pinned to the floor at the Newark airport came to light on Sunday night.
Posted on X by an Indian-American entrepreneur, Kunal Jain, the videos and photographs showed an unidentified young individual handcuffed and crying at the airport. Jain, who tagged the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his series of posts, said he was speaking in 'Haryanvi language and accent' and was pleading that the authorities were bent upon declaring him mentally unfit.
Taking cognisance of this, the Indian Consulate in New York said on Monday evening, 'We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard.' The Consulate remains committed to the welfare of Indian nationals, they said.
According to Jain, who said he witnessed the event firsthand, the young man appeared to be in distress and was crying as the Port Authority Police officers restrained him.
There is no confirmation if the said individual has left Newark or has arrived in India, as per those aware of the matter. Authorities are presently trying to ascertain the date and time of the video, and the identity of the said individual, they said.
Calling it a human tragedy, Jain wrote on X, 'I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night — handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken.'
Photographs and video clips shared by Jain show the young man being restrained by officers from the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), the agency responsible for law enforcement across major transport hubs in New York and New Jersey.
A call made by The Indian Express to Port Authority Police Department at Newark International Airport didn't elicit any details, except for the officer saying that 'the PAPD doesn't get involved in deportations'.
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Pakistan used unsuspecting customers to route funds to CRPF officer: Probe
Days after the arrest of CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Moti Ram Jat for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence officials, Central intelligence agencies have uncovered a new layer to the espionage network — a covert funding mechanism that exploited ordinary Indian citizens. According to investigators, Pakistani officials used an unusual modus operandi to send money to Jat: instead of transferring funds directly or through their Indian handlers, they instructed unrelated individuals — mostly unsuspecting customers in business transactions — to deposit money into Jat's account, under the impression that it was part of a legitimate commercial deal. 'These were unsuspecting individuals who either struck small business deals with someone or were asked by their clients to transfer money via QR codes for services like travel bookings or currency exchange. But the account details they were given actually belonged to Moti Ram Jat,' a source with a central intelligence agency told The Indian Express. 'They had no knowledge of who Jat was or what his real role was.' This layering of transactions has made the financial trail harder to trace and added complexity to the investigation, the source said. Jat was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi for allegedly sharing classified information with Pakistani agents posing as TV journalists. He had been posted with a CRPF battalion in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and was transferred to Delhi just five days before the April 22 terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed. The probe has revealed that over the past two years, Jat allegedly sent multiple sensitive documents to his handlers in Pakistan in exchange for regular payments — Rs 3,500 per month and occasional lump sums of up to Rs 12,000 for high-value intelligence. The funds were deposited into his and his wife's bank accounts. Following the money trail, the NIA found that deposits came from various states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam and West Bengal. 'The pattern was clear — multiple transfers from unrelated bank accounts in different regions,' the source said. This discovery prompted simultaneous searches by NIA teams at several locations, including a shop in Alipore, a travel agency in Khidderpore, and a hotel in Park Circus in Kolkata. In one case, the owner of a travel agency was summoned for questioning over suspicious transactions. Earlier this month, the NIA confirmed the espionage links. 'The suspects had connections with Pakistani operatives, and acted as financial conduits for carrying out espionage activities in India. NIA teams have seized several electronic gadgets and sensitive financial documents, along with other incriminating materials during the searches,' the agency said in a statement. It added that several electronic devices and sensitive financial documents were seized and are being examined. According to sources, Jat has claimed that he was initially contacted by a woman who posed as a journalist from a Chandigarh-based TV channel. After regular exchanges over phone and video calls, he began sharing documents with her. A few months later, a man — allegedly a Pakistani official — took over the conversation, continuing the ruse as a fellow journalist. Payments reportedly began two to three months after initial contact and were transferred on the fourth day of every month. Investigators believe this indicates a structured and well-funded espionage operation, run from across the border but embedded within Indian financial systems using innocent intermediaries. The NIA has briefed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CRPF, and other central agencies about the evolving methods being used by Pakistani operatives to fund and mask their activities within India.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
HC judge calls for deeper engagement with law
Dimapur: Justice Y Longkumer, judge of Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench, on Friday called for deeper engagement with law, greater professional development and renewed commitment to justice by the lawyers. She said the panel lawyers, who often serve as the first line of access to justice for the marginalised and under-represented, now play a unique and essential role as educators, advisors and counsellors for common citizens at a time when the Indian legal system is undergoing a pivotal transition with the introduction of new criminal laws. Longkumer was speaking at the one-day orientation programme organised by the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority on new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — for panel/retainer lawyers and Legal Aid Defence Counsel System lawyers in Kohima. She said the Indian criminal justice system is undergoing significant reforms with the introduction of the BNS, BNSS and BSA, replacing the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act. "These new legislative reforms are not just mere cosmetic changes but represent a new way of thinking on how the justice system is perceived, delivered and experienced by the common citizens," Longkumer said. She said the lawyers, who serve in the legal services panel, are often the first line of access to justice for the marginalised and under-represented, and their role now is more important than ever. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Cardiologist Says This Food Can Do Wonders For Your Health Gundry MD Learn More Undo "You have to learn to adapt to changes with professionalism and as it is with any legal transition, there will be challenges and uncertainties in the interpretation," the judge said. On existing practical difficulties, Longkumer cited the existence of different interpretations and sources, questions and the practical burden of unlearning and relearning while observing that now they have to change their mindset and start to unlearn the IPC, CrPC and learn the new laws.
Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Air India flight crash: Body of missing filmmaker among 210 handed over to family members
Eight days after Air India flight AI 171 crashed, the authorities have identified 230 victims and handed 210 bodies to families, officials said Friday. The bodies that were returned included that of Mahesh Kalawadia, 34, a filmmaker who was among four people reported missing after the incident. Kalawadia's DNA was matched with a family member's and his body was handed over to his family Friday afternoon, sources at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said. As earlier reported by The Indian Express, Kalawadia was neither in the flight nor in the BJ Medical College hostel where it crashed. His last location before his phone switched off was nearly 700 metres from the hostel. While the filmmaker's family hoped he was not among those killed, police had convinced them to give their DNA samples in case his body was found. Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital, in a video statement on June 20 evening said, 'While DNA analysis of 230 victims has been completed, 210 bodies have been handed over to the families. While the families of 8 deceased are awaiting the bodies… 10 families are yet to decide on a time to receive the remains and 3 families are awaiting air clearance for air transport of the bodies.'
