Detention and search of Indian VIPs at US airports

Since 2001, several cases of detention and search of Indian VIPs at US airports have been reported, resulting in diplomatic tensions between India and the United States. Protest from Indian authorities often led to apologies from US officials. Unlike the United States, India frequently exempts diplomats and other well-known figures from airport security checks.[1]

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was at the centre of three well-publicised incidents. On 15 August 2009, he was detained at Newark while on his way to celebrate India's Independence Day in Chicago.[2] Three years later, he was stopped at New York White Plains where he had landed to address a conference at Yale University.[3] Four years later again, he was stopped at Los Angeles International Airport. [4]

In December 2010, Indian Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar and to the United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri were both targeted by security agents in two separate incidents.[5][1] In September 2011, former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was searched twice – before and after boarding his plane – at New York JFK airport.[6]

In 2015, it was announced that a list of 2,000 Indian VIPs will be included in the US Global Entry programme, which warrants expedited clearance at US airports. The list was to include former Presidents and Prime Ministers, prominent industrialists and movie stars.[7]

DateNameOccupationAirportTypeSource
2002 George Fernandes Minister of Defence Washington Dulles Search [8]
2003 George Fernandes Minister of Defence Washington Dulles Search [8]
August 2009 Shah Rukh Khan Prominent film actor Newark Detention [2]
September 2010 Praful Patel Minister of Civil Aviation Chicago O'Hare Detention [9]
December 2010 Meera Shankar Ambassador to the US Jackson–Evers Search [5]
December 2010 Hardeep Puri Permanent Representative to the UN Houston airport Detention [1]
September 2011 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Former President of India New York JFK Search [6]
April 2012 Shah Rukh Khan Prominent film actor New York White Plains Detention [3]
August 2016 Shah Rukh Khan Prominent film actor Los Angeles International Detention [4]

References
  1. "Indian UN ambassador detained at airport for refusing to remove turban". The Telegraph. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. Wax, Emily (16 August 2009). "Indian Actor's Questioning at Airport Draws Criticism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. "Shah Rukh Khan's detention: US apologises, India talks tough". The Times of India. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  4. "Shah Rukh Khan detained at Los Angeles airport". The Times of India. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  5. "India's ambassador Meera Shankar frisked at US airport". BBC. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  6. Sinha, Sanskrity (18 November 2011). "U.S. Officials Sacked for Frisking India's Former President; Did TSA Go Too Far?". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  7. Bhalla, Abhishek (15 September 2015). "US airports will now treat 2,000 Indians as VVIPS". India Today. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  8. "Airport detention: SRK in company of Kalam and Fernandes". The Hindu. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  9. "Praful Patel questioned at Chicago airport". The Times of India. 29 September 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.


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