Canadian imprisoned in Incredible India
- By India Travel
- Published 01/29/2008
The city of Motihari a frontier town in the state of Bihar has the distinction as India's poorest, most backward, and most lawless.
And It is here a lonely Canadian businessman from Montreal now sits in a crowded, filthy prison, and still figuring out how he got there. His crime: entering India without a proper visa. His sentence: three years.
Saul Itzhayek is not alone. He's surrounded by 1,500 other prisoners, including thieves, rapists, murderers, drug dealers and kidnappers. But he is the jail's one and only foreign inmate - ever.
Itzhayek has been there eight months now. He's been separated from the rest of the prison population and Psychologically he's angry, tormented, and despondent.
For anybody who travels, his story is frightening and alarming. He was in Nepal on a business trip and sent a driver into India to pick up a money transfer.
The Indian police stopped the driver at the border, and in turn asked Itzhayek to come
In a sworn statement, Itzhayek says the police demanded a bribe. He offered them 50,000 rupees, which is about $1,200, but says they wanted 500,000 rupees, and wouldn't give him time to raise the money. "Now, or forget it."
So, no bribe, no release, and ultimately - he landed up for three years in prison.
He asked them to check his file as he has done nothing wrong in 42 years. I have two kids, and all I want to do is go home he said.
In all the time he's been in prison, Itzhayek has had three Canadian consular visits, and is extremely resentful and critical of the support he's received from his own government.
In a state like Bihar where criminals roam around free, goverment has imprisoned an Canadian citizen for 3 years in the name of national security??? well done India!
And It is here a lonely Canadian businessman from Montreal now sits in a crowded, filthy prison, and still figuring out how he got there. His crime: entering India without a proper visa. His sentence: three years.
Saul Itzhayek is not alone. He's surrounded by 1,500 other prisoners, including thieves, rapists, murderers, drug dealers and kidnappers. But he is the jail's one and only foreign inmate - ever.
Itzhayek has been there eight months now. He's been separated from the rest of the prison population and Psychologically he's angry, tormented, and despondent.
For anybody who travels, his story is frightening and alarming. He was in Nepal on a business trip and sent a driver into India to pick up a money transfer.
The Indian police stopped the driver at the border, and in turn asked Itzhayek to come
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into India and explain what was going on. He knew he didn't have a valid visa, but says the police offered him safe passage. When he arrived in the country, he was questioned and then charged with "violating India's sovereignty."In a sworn statement, Itzhayek says the police demanded a bribe. He offered them 50,000 rupees, which is about $1,200, but says they wanted 500,000 rupees, and wouldn't give him time to raise the money. "Now, or forget it."
So, no bribe, no release, and ultimately - he landed up for three years in prison.
He asked them to check his file as he has done nothing wrong in 42 years. I have two kids, and all I want to do is go home he said.
In all the time he's been in prison, Itzhayek has had three Canadian consular visits, and is extremely resentful and critical of the support he's received from his own government.
In a state like Bihar where criminals roam around free, goverment has imprisoned an Canadian citizen for 3 years in the name of national security??? well done India!
