Airports told to leave Sarah alone

Chennai: The Madras HC has directed the regional passport officer, Thiruvananthapuram, to inform all airport authorities not to harass Sarah Thomas, an NRI arrested on October 29 at Chennai airport on mistaken identity and later released in Kerala.

A division bench comprising justices S. Tamilvanan and T. Mathivanan said it was seen that the RPO, Thiruvananthapuram, in an order dated November 14, 2014, gave the police clearance certificate whereby they informed that Sarah Thomas, wife of Sajith John, holding an Indian passport issued at Dubai on October 20, 2011, had nothing to do with Sarah Williams and that no adverse information was against her.

The bench said it was a clear case of mistaken identity in arresting the petitioner’s mother Sarah Thomas instead of Sarah Williams. The certificate issued by the superintendent of police, crime branch, CID, economic offences-I, Kollam, dated November 14, 2014 made this clear. The bench posted to December 12, further hearing of the habeas corpus petition filed by Kevin John Sajith, son of Sarah Thomas.

On October 29, Sarah Thomas was arrested at Chennai airport after her flight landed from Dubai. Immigration officials interrogated her for an hour to establish that she was Sarah Williams, accused of cheating a London-based insurance firm and is absconding for over 13 years. Sarah Thomas was handed over to police and a case registered. However, the judicial magistrate, Punalur, ordered her release immediately after recording the report of the detective inspector, CB-CID that he had mistakenly identified her for Sarah Williams.

On November 27 Sarah Thomas appeared in person before the court and sought an undertaking from the police and senior Immigration officer that the same mistake will not happen in future and that a clear message be given to all airports and immigration offices that passport No. K 0895902 was not the Sarah Williams police were looking for.