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Khaleej Times
28-04-2025
- Khaleej Times
Dubai businessman calls for ‘NRI reforms' as Jaipur airport officers transferred after harassment complaints
An Indian industrialist in Dubai has offered to pay the fines of anyone whose items were confiscated at an Indian airport and wants to bring them back to the UAE. Vasu Shroff, who was recently harassed at the Jaipur airport in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan over a 10-year-old Rolex watch, said he is still reeling from the incident and wants to look out for his fellow Indians. 'There are many low-income people who land in that airport and are harassed by officials,' he told Khaleej Times. 'I even saw some women being made to remove their mangalsutra (a sacred necklace worn by Hindu women to signify marriage), claiming that it has not been declared. I am ready to pay the fines for all the items that have been confiscated from such travellers and who want to bring them back to the UAE.' On April 12, the 83-year-old wheelchair-bound entrepreneur was visiting India for a two-day trip when customs officers stopped him and demanded that he pay customs duty for the gold watch worth over Dh150,000. He said that he was made to wait for hours and treated like a 'criminal' during the ordeal. On Sunday, it emerged that four customs officials who were involved in the incident had been transferred to various other parts of Rajasthan. A resident of the UAE for over 73 years, Shroff is often described as the textile king of Dubai, due to the clothing empire he has built up. On Sunday, he arrived at a Rajasthan Carnival held at the Zabeel Ladies Club wearing the watch that had been confiscated to meet a minister of the state. 'I will submit a petition to him right now with proof,' he said. 'I presume that after this incident, they will improve.' 'A change in the system' Although happy that the officers had faced the consequences of their action, Shroff's lawyer, Dharmendre Singh, an advocate in the Delhi Supreme Court and Jaipur High Court, confirmed to Khaleej Times that he was preparing to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) over the incident. 'There needs to be a change in the system,' he said. 'People should not be harassed over their personal jewellery items. In this case, my client was wearing the watch, and he was dressed in a half-sleeve shirt. When personal items are visible while travelling, they should be automatically assumed as declared because they are not hidden.' According to Indian customs rules, luxury items brought into the country without proper declaration may attract a duty of approximately 38 per cent. However, many expats claim they are harassed by airport officials. Earlier this month the Delhi High Court ruled that personal or inherited jewellery worn by passengers should not be seized or detained by customs officials, and that travellers should not be harassed. Singh added that a change was highly overdue, considering how Rajasthan was a tourism hub. 'Jaipur is a great place for destination weddings,' he noted. 'A lot of women will bring their jewelry and ornaments for this and if they face a situation like this, no one will ever want to come back to Jaipur. So there needs to be a system in place to ensure smooth passage for such people.'
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Dubai NRI alleges mistreatment at Jaipur airport over Rs 3.5 million Rolex
Dubai-based businessman Vasu Shroff , known in the Gulf region as the 'Textile King,' has alleged mistreatment by customs officials at Jaipur Airport during his two-day visit to India earlier this month. According to a report by Khaleej Times, the 85-year-old entrepreneur said he was 'humiliated and harassed' upon arrival on April 12. Shroff, who arrived in a wheelchair and was accompanied by an aide, said his issues began when an immigration officer stopped him near the baggage area and demanded to see his passport. The officer then pointed to Shroff's Rolex watch and told him it could not be carried without declaration. 'There was no proper declaration point at the airport,' Shroff told Khaleej Times. He described the designated area as a 'small 5x3 ft desk,' lacking any indication of a red or green customs channel. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Best-Paying Degrees of 2025 Are Not What You Think Best Paying Degrees | Search Ads Learn More Undo Despite being recognized with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman for his contributions to business and community service, Shroff was reportedly held for over two hours at the airport. He had planned to travel 200 kilometers to attend a religious event and meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Shroff's legal counsel, Dharmendre Singh, who practices at the Delhi Supreme Court and Jaipur High Court, criticized the airport's customs infrastructure and handling of the situation. 'There were no clear red or green channels at Jaipur Airport,' Singh said. 'The way Shroff was treated was not only unfair but deeply disrespectful.' Live Events You Might Also Like: Nobody should suffer at airports: Bombay High Court on lack of wheelchairs and other facilities Shroff's Rolex watch, reportedly worth Rs3.5 million, was taken by officials who said it would be returned only upon payment of a duty. Singh claimed officials later demanded Rs10,000 for its release, despite Indian customs regulations suggesting a duty of approximately 38 per cent on undeclared luxury items. Singh called the demand 'legally baseless' and said it raised questions about due process. On his return to Dubai on April 14, Shroff's assistant attempted to collect the watch but was again asked to pay the disputed amount of Rs10,000 that had no legal basis. The watch was eventually returned on April 19 after Singh travelled to the UAE to hand it over personally. Reflecting on the incident, Shroff said, 'I felt humiliated. I sat there for over five hours. All I wanted was to meet a few people and visit a temple.' He has called for improved customs procedures and better traveller support at Indian airports, especially in Tier-2 cities like Jaipur. 'I have lived and worked in Dubai for decades, building a business and helping the community. But when I came to my own country, I was treated like I did something wrong,' he said. You Might Also Like: Not discounts. How Dubai gold jewellers are trying to attract Indian shoppers as prices surge 30% in just 4 months
Gulf News
23-04-2025
- Gulf News
Dubai businessman Vasu Shroff harassed over Rolex at Jaipur Airport sparks NRI outrage
Dubai: Prominent Dubai-based Indian businessman and Chairman of the Regal Group, Vasu Shroff, 84, was harassed by customs officials at Jaipur International Airport upon his arrival on April 11th or 12th, according to multiple Indian media reports. The incident, involving a personal Rolex wristwatch, has triggered widespread concern and anger among the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) community. According to reports Shroff, a recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, voluntarily declared his personal Rolex watch, presenting the original receipt and certificate to customs officials. He had intended to wear the watch during his visit for a family event and a temple inauguration and then return with it to Dubai. According to his lawyer, the Rolex watch in question was a high-end luxury timepiece valued at around Rs 3.5 million (approximately Dh150,000). Detained for four hours However, Shroff claims that customs officials accused him of attempting to smuggle the timepiece. He was allegedly detained in his wheelchair for over four hours and denied access to water, necessary medication, and basic restroom facilities. In statements carried by several news outlets, Shroff described the treatment as akin to that of a "criminal." He expressed deep distress and stated that the ordeal caused him to miss the intended family function. The alleged high-handedness of the customs officials has been particularly criticized in the media in light of his stature and his compliance with declaration procedures. Watch finally retrieved Following the incident, Shroff was reportedly compelled to leave the watch with the customs department to seek urgent medical attention. His legal team in India intervened. NDTV reports that the watch was finally retrieved from customs on April 19th and subsequently returned to Shroff in Dubai. Vasu Shroff said he will pursue legal action to ensure that other NRIs do not face similar humiliating experiences at Indian airports, according to reports. This incident has reignited discussions about the treatment of the NRIs, who often travel to India with personal belongings acquired abroad.
