New Delhi:
A plane carrying several Indian passengers detained near Paris due to suspected human trafficking is free to leave today, a French court ruled on Sunday. But it is not clear if the plane will return to India.
The Nicaragua-bound plane has 303 passengers, mostly Indians, according to the Indian embassy. An anonymous tip-off over human trafficking led to its grounding at the Vatry airport when it arrived from Dubai for refuelling.
French prosecutors on Sunday allowed the Airbus A340 to leave France after questioning the passengers for two days, the local prefecture said in a statement, adding that a full approval for their departure is expected today.
Vatry in eastern France is about 150 km from Paris and the airport serves mostly budget airlines. The grounded Airbus A340 belongs to a Romanian charter company named Legend Airlines.
The Paris prosecutor said the action came after an anonymous tip-off that some of the passengers on board the plane were “victims of human trafficking”. Two men were detained for questioning by a specialised unit.
The stranded passengers were provided makeshift beds and access to toilets and showers, besides meals and hot drinks at the Vatry airport, an official said. Ten Indian passengers had even applied for asylum, reported news agency AFP.
A lawyer claiming that she represents the Legend Airlines said they believed it had done nothing wrong, committed no offence “and is at the disposal of French authorities”. She said the airline will take legal action if charges are filed.
