External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that Sikh woman Harjit Kaur, recently deported from the United States, was not handcuffed during her removal but was “maltreated in detention” before being placed on a flight to India.

Responding to concerns raised by a Member of Parliament, Jaishankar cited Kaur’s lawyer, who stated, “Thankfully they didn’t cuff her. One officer was going to do it but another officer said not to because of her age.”

The minister added that Indian immigration officials verified she was not handcuffed upon arrival in India.

“Whenever a flight with deportees lands -- be it chartered or commercial -- our officials interview every individual. In this case, they confirmed she was not cuffed,” he said.

However, Jaishankar acknowledged th

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