Yemen family claims hospital not returning passports, police tells HC probe underway

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Friday informed the Delhi High Court that its investigation is underway into a matter in which passports of a Yemen family were allegedly taken by a private hospital here where the complainant's one-year-old son was undergoing treatment.

The court was hearing a plea by a Yemen national, who along with his wife had come to India for medical treatment of their infant son, urging that the private hospital, situated in East Delhi here, be directed to return their passports to enable them to return to their country.

The police submitted that the complainant's statement has been recorded by the investigating officer and further investigation is underway and is being closely monitored by the Deputy Commissioner of Police concerned.

Justice Yashwant Varma listed the matter for July 20 to enable the counsel for the police to seek further instructions in the case.

The counsel for the police submitted that there appeared to be some nexus between the hospital and the interpreter, a woman, who was assigned to the family by the hospital and took a huge amount of money from them.

He further said that certainly the passports were not with the hospital but are with the interpreter and the police need to find out how the documents reached the woman.

The high court, which on July 11 took cognisance of a complaint made by the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen to the private hospital concerning the family's sufferings, had asked the counsel for the Delhi Police and SHO of Madhu Vihar in East Delhi to obtain instructions on the issue.

The counsel for the hospital had claimed in the court that it did not have the passports of the wife and child of the petitioner man.