Plane with 303 Indian passengers grounded over 'human trafficking' in France freed, may head to India today

A plane, carrying over 300 Indian passengers, which had been held at an airport in France since Thursday, has been granted permission to depart following an investigation into human trafficking claims, according to French authorities. French prosecutors on Sunday authorised the plane to take off from Vatry airport, situated 150km (95 miles) east of Paris, after conducting two days of interviews with passengers regarding suspicions that they might be victims of human trafficking. According to Al Jazeera, the Airbus A340 is expected to leave today after the French Civil Aviation Authority secures final approval for departure, with a lawyer for Romania-based Legend Airlines saying most of the stranded passengers would be returning to India. Two passengers have been detained since Friday as authorities investigate whether they travelled with a different purpose than the other passengers and “under what conditions and with what objectives", added the report. Several other passengers have requested asylum in France, according to the local government. The plane bound for Nicaragua was detained at Vatry Airport during a refueling stop on its journey from Fujairah Airport in the United Arab Emirates. This action was taken following an anonymous tip suggesting the possibility of the aircraft carrying trafficking victims. Subsequently, the passengers, including a 21-month-old child, were confined at the airport. Local government authorities ensured their basic needs were met by installing beds, toilets, and showers for their temporary stay. Upon grounding the plane, the airport was transformed into an impromptu courtroom. Judges, lawyers, and translators crowded the terminal for emergency hearings to determine the continued detention of the passengers. The Indian Embassy in Paris communicated on X that consular staff were collaborating with French authorities for an “early resolution of the situation,” as posted on Saturday. With inputs from agencies