Detention and search of Indian VIPs at US airports

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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]

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, previously in 2009 he had been searched by the ground staff of a Continental Airlines flight in New Delhi which was bound for Newark.[6][7]

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.[8]

Date Name Occupation Airport Type Source
September 2001 Kabir Khan Film director Los Angeles International Search [9]
2002 Aamir Khan Film actor Chicago O'Hare Search [10]
2002 George Fernandes Minister of Defence Washington Dulles Search [11]
2003 George Fernandes Minister of Defence Washington Dulles Search [11]
2008 Irrfan Khan Film actor Los Angeles International Detention [10]
2009 Irrfan Khan Film actor New York JFK Detention [10]
2009 John Abraham Film actor New York JFK Detention [10]
May 2009 Mammootty Film actor New York JFK Detention [12]
June 2009 Neil Nitin Mukesh Film actor New York JFK Detention [12]
August 2009 Shah Rukh Khan Film actor Newark Detention [2]
September 2010 Praful Patel Minister of Civil Aviation Chicago O'Hare Detention [13]
December 2010 Meera Shankar Ambassador to the US Jackson–Evers Search [5]
December 2010 Hardeep Puri Permanent Representative to the UN Houston Detention [1]
September 2011 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Former President of India New York JFK Search [6]
April 2012 Shah Rukh Khan Film actor New York White Plains Detention [3]
2013 Azam Khan Politician Boston Logan Detention [12]
August 2016 Shah Rukh Khan Film actor Los Angeles International Detention [4]

See also[edit]

  • Kamal Haasan, Indian actor denied preclearance to travel to the United States by Customs and Border Protection authorities at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2002 because of his Muslim-sounding name.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Indian UN ambassador detained at airport for refusing to remove turban". The Telegraph. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b Wax, Emily (16 August 2009). "Indian Actor's Questioning at Airport Draws Criticism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Shah Rukh Khan's detention: US apologises, India talks tough". The Times of India. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Shah Rukh Khan detained at Los Angeles airport". The Times of India. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b "India's ambassador Meera Shankar frisked at US airport". BBC. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ Bhushan, Nyay (19 August 2016). "Why Shah Rukh Khan and Other Indian Celebrities Have Been Detained at U.S. Airports". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  8. ^ Bhalla, Abhishek (15 September 2015). "US airports will now treat 2,000 Indians as VVIPS". India Today. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  9. ^ "SRK's detention: Kamal Haasan says US authorities simply following rules". Hindustan Times. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "SRK is not alone. Here's a list of other Indians detained at US airports". The Economic Times. 12 August 2016. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Airport detention: SRK in company of Kalam and Fernandes". The Hindu. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  12. ^ a b c "SRK detained: 10 Indian personalities who were detained/frisked at airports". Hindustan Times. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Praful Patel questioned at Chicago airport". The Times of India. 29 September 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  14. ^ Jha, Subhah K (3 May 2002). "Harrowing time in Toronto". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 July 2003. Retrieved 19 February 2024.


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