A Noida-based businessman, who was detained at the Abu Dhabi airport as his face matched with a ‘wanted criminal’ in a face recognition software on October 11, landed in India in the early hours of Sunday.
Praveen Kumar, a resident of Habibpur village in Greater Noida, works as a contractor for a cement company. He and his wife Usha were on a week-long leisure trip to Switzerland and had a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi.
The immigration authorities at the airport allegedly took their passports and visas and the airport officers then took them to a separate room.
“They told my husband that he will be detained as his face matches that of a criminal wanted by Abu Dhabi police,” Usha was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
The family members frantically tweeted their ordeal to external affairs minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials of the ministry to seek assistance in the matter.
Soon after the news surfaced, Gautam Buddh Nagar DM SL Yathiraj told news agency ANI that one Praveen Kumar from Gautam Buddha Nagar district’s Habibpur was detained by Abu Dhabi police at the airport, as per the information given by the family who submitted an application to get him released.
Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassy and State’s Home Ministry were apprised of the matter.
After landing in India, Praveen Kumar told ANI that Abu Dhabi authorities there at the airport detained him once and then go, after which they detained him for a second time when he was on the way toward departure.
“They kept me overnight, forced me to accept I was someone else, put me in a holding cell in the morning, took me to a different city, held me and questioned me again. Would like to thank PM Modi and CM Adityanath for their quick action in the matter”, Praveen Kumar added.
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