Lady locked

Aside from hiding, foreigners with expired visas have found a new way to overstay in the country. The Department of Justice (DoJ) discovered that they were exploiting a loophole in immigration law by having flimsy cases filed against them, prompting the court to prevent their departure so they can face the charges.

DoJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla dubbed the scheme used by mostly foreign fugitives as “demanda me” (sue me). Remulla asked Congress to amend the law, requiring court cases involving foreigners to be resolved or terminated before they leave the country.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old immigrant woman is suspected of overstaying in India after she was found in the dense forests of Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra state on 27 July.

Lalita Kayi of Massachusetts, USA, gave conflicting statements to authorities after shepherds who rescued her turned her over to the police.

The shepherds heard Kayi’s screams for help in the forest and when they found her, her leg was chained to a tree, and she was emaciated. In a written statement to the police, Kayi alleged that her estranged Indian husband “chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water,” according to BBC reports.

Kayi also wrote that she had been distressed because her visa had expired and she was running out of money, so she had bought locks and chains and tied herself to the tree, according to the BBC.

Police later said she told them she was not married. They surmised that she was hallucinating after having not eaten for days when she gave her initial statements.

Kayi was taken to a hospital and is recovering, according to reports. Her family in the United States has been contacted, and police are searching for her alleged husband, who may be facing attempted murder charges.