No visa ban on single Russian women: Indian

Single Russian women are being denied visas to travel to India for the New Year, leading tour operators here have alleged, a charge denied by the Indian Embassy here.

Tour Operators here have posted on their website a letter purportedly from the Indian Embassy saying that from December 19, “The Indian embassy will not accept applications from single women aged below 45 who travel unaccompanied… “In case a woman is travelling with a partner, he must provide a letter pledging to take responsibility for her.”

The Press Officer of Indian embassy Dr Ramesh Chandra, meanwhile, denied any discriminatory policies on issuing visas to Russians. Another diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as part of the efforts to prevent human trafficking, some checks are in place for at least 10 years and are not uncommon.

PTI