An Indian national, Nishanth Parakudiyil Prahladan, is set to be deported from New Zealand after pleading guilty to attempting to procure sexual services from a minor. The 25-year-old migrant worker contacted a 13-year-old girl in 2023, believing she was 19, and paid $250 for sex. Although he messaged and attempted to call her again, they never met. Following a police operation, he was arrested and charged with entering into a contract for sexual services from a minor, to which he pleaded guilty.
Court Sentencing and Immigration Consequences
In 2025, Prahladan sought a discharge without conviction, arguing it would affect his visa status. However, the court convicted him and sentenced him to six months and two weeks of home detention. As a result, Immigration New Zealand issued a deportation liability notice. After a review was denied, he appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds.
Appeal Grounds and Tribunal Decision
Prahladan claimed he pleaded guilty without understanding the implications and that he was sending money for his mother's cancer treatment in India. He argued that returning to India would expose him to stigma, ostracism, and potential harm from vigilante groups, and that he would struggle to find work. The tribunal, however, found these factors insufficient to cancel his deportation.
The tribunal acknowledged that deportation would be distressing but stated that Prahladan could relocate within India to make a fresh start. It ruled: "While having to depart New Zealand earlier than he had planned will be distressing and disappointing for the appellant, the tribunal considers that he has not established circumstances that, either individually or cumulatively, reach the high threshold of exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature. Further, a return to India will be a return to the country with which he remains familiar and retains close familial and cultural ties."
Temporary Work Visa Granted
Despite the deportation order, the tribunal granted Prahladan a six-month work visa to allow him to remain in New Zealand temporarily to arrange his affairs and continue supporting his family before returning to India. The tribunal noted: "There are clear indications that the appellant is unlikely to reoffend. As such he is unlikely to be a risk to the public during the further period of time that he will be able to remain here."
