Vandenbyvange, a 61-year-old Frenchman, came to India to meet Mata Amritanandamayi, the ‘hugging saint’ in Kerala, on a visa that was valid till June 8. After he lost his documents in Kerala, he somehow managed to reach Kanyakumari. There, he lived on the streets, depending on alms like a beggar — a White beggar speaking in an incoherent language.
On July 9, the district police rounded up beggars and found 115 of them to be mentally unstable, including Vandenbyvange. They were sent to the Institute of Mental Health in Chennai after a government doctor certified that he, along with many others, had to be treated. As per the procedure, the magistrate issued orders to house them at the institute for observation and treatment.
According to district police officials, he knew his daughters’ names and his email id, but little else. They claimed to have intimated the French Embassy regarding him.
Meanwhile, his continued absence even after visa expiry date worried his 36-year-old daughter Nathalie, who contacted the French Diplomatic Mission. From there, she was guided to the IMH. However, the institute authorities refused to discharge him, following which Nathalie filed a habeas corpus petition at the Madras High Court, seeking his release.
According to her, Vandenbyvange is a sane person, who unfortunately is proficient only in French. This became a problem after he lost his travel documents and other papers.
Coming to the rescue of the father-daughter duo, the High Court on Monday came down heavily on the authorities stating that the police and doctors had not acted fairly and added, “In view of the callousness in duty, we direct the director of IMH to file a report on or before August 4.” French citizens are also entitled to fundamental rights once they land in this country,” said the Bench, ordering Vandenbyvange’s immediate release.