Canberra man charged after tricking wife into travelling to India, cancelling her Australian visa and leaving her stranded with their son

An Indian-origin man in Australia has been charged with exit trafficking after tricking his wife into travelling to India before cancelling her visa and leaving her stranded overseas, reports Australia Today,

The 35-year-old Canberra man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is the first person in the Australian Capital Territory to face charges under the country’s exit trafficking laws. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 12 years.

The couple travelled from Australia to India in September 2024 ahead of the birth of their child. The man later told his wife he needed to return to Australia for work and promised he would come back before the birth of their son. He never returned to India.

In April 2025, the man fraudulently cancelled his wife’s Australian visa application while she was still in India and later blocked her phone number, leaving her stranded in India with their newborn child.

The woman was eventually able to return to Australia in August 2025. However, the couple’s son remained in India. The woman later became concerned that her husband was planning to take her back to India and abandon her again. She contacted police in March 2026.

The man was arrested on April 14 and remains on bail.

Under Australian law, exit trafficking occurs when a person uses coercion, deception or threats to arrange or facilitate someone leaving Australia for exploitation or control. Offenders usually confiscate passports, cancel visas or isolate victims overseas as part of the abuse.

The Australian Federal Police urged people experiencing migration-related abuse to seek help.

"If you suspect you, or some else, is experiencing, or at risk of, modern slavery or human trafficking, call 131 AFP," police said.

The Department of Home Affairs said victims supported by the AFP can apply to return to Australia under the Human Trafficking Visa Framework while investigations continue.
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