View source for Detention and search of Indian VIPs at US airports

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
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.<ref name="hsp" />

Bollywood superstar [[Shah Rukh Khan]] was at the centre of three well-publicised incidents. On 15 August 2009, he was detained at [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]] while on his way to celebrate [[Independence Day (India)|India's Independence Day]] in Chicago.<ref name="srk09">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/15/AR2009081501595.html |title=Indian Actor's Questioning at Airport Draws Criticism|first=Emily|last=Wax|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=16 August 2009|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref> Three years later, he was stopped at [[Westchester County Airport|New York White Plains]] where he had landed to address a conference at [[Yale University]].<ref name="srk12">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Shah-Rukh-Khans-detention-US-apologises-India-talks-tough/articleshow/12648019.cms |title=Shah Rukh Khan's detention: US apologises, India talks tough|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=13 April 2012|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref> Four years later again, he was stopped at Los Angeles International Airport. <ref name="ti20160812">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shah-Rukh-Khan-detained-at-Los-Angeles-airport/articleshow/53662583.cms |title=Shah Rukh Khan detained at Los Angeles airport|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=12 August 2016|accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref name="ms">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11957943 |title=India's ambassador Meera Shankar frisked at US airport|publisher=[[BBC]] |date=9 December 2010|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="hsp">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8199063/Indian-UN-ambassador-detained-at-airport-for-refusing-to-remove-turban.html |title=Indian UN ambassador detained at airport for refusing to remove turban|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=13 December 2010|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref> In September 2011, former President of India [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]] was searched twice – before and after boarding his plane – at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York JFK]] airport.<ref name="apjak">{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/us-officials-sacked-frisking-indias-former-president-did-tsa-go-too-far-371782 |title=U.S. Officials Sacked for Frisking India's Former President; Did TSA Go Too Far?|first=Sanskrity |last=Sinha|newspaper=[[International Business Times]]|date=18 November 2011|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/us-airports-will-now-treat-2000-indians-as-vvips/1/473818.html |title=US airports will now treat 2,000 Indians as VVIPS|first=Abhishek |last=Bhalla |newspaper=[[India Today]]|date=15 September 2015|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|-
!Date !! Name !! Occupation !! Airport !! Type !! Source
|-
| 2002
| [[George Fernandes]]
| [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]]
| [[Washington Dulles International Airport|Washington Dulles]]
| Search
| <ref name="th">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/airport-detention-srk-in-company-of-kalam-and-fernandes/article3310624.ece |title=Airport detention: SRK in company of Kalam and Fernandes|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 April 2012|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref>
|-
| 2003
| George Fernandes
| Minister of Defence 
| Washington Dulles
| Search
| <ref name="th"/>
|-
| August 2009
| [[Shah Rukh Khan]]
| Prominent film actor
| [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]]
| Detention
| <ref name="srk09"/>
|-
| September 2010
| [[Praful Patel]]
| [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Minister of Civil Aviation]]
| [[O'Hare International Airport|Chicago O'Hare]]
| Detention
| <ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Praful-Patel-questioned-at-Chicago-airport/articleshow/6647499.cms|title=Praful Patel questioned at Chicago airport|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=29 September 2010|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref>
|-
| December 2010
| [[Meera Shankar]]
| [[Indian Ambassador to the United States|Ambassador to the US]]
| [[Jackson–Evers International Airport|Jackson–Evers]] 
| Search
| <ref name="ms"/>
|-
| December 2010
| [[Hardeep Puri]]
| [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations|Permanent Representative to the UN]]
| Houston airport
| Detention
| <ref name="hsp"/>
|-
| September 2011
| [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
| Former [[President of India]]
| [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York JFK]]
| Search
| <ref name="apjak"/>
|-
| April 2012
| Shah Rukh Khan
| Prominent film actor
| [[Westchester County Airport|New York White Plains]]
| Detention
| <ref name="srk12"/>
|-
|August 2016
|Shah Rukh Khan
|Prominent film actor
|[[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles International]]
|Detention
| <ref name="ti20160812"/>
|}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Diplomatic incidents]]
[[Category:India–United States relations]]
[[Category:United States aviation-related lists]]


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