British man jailed for bringing satellite phone to India yoga retreat

The man was detained for six days after bringing a satellite phone into India. Photo / 123rf

A British man was jailed after he brought a contraband item to a wellness retreat in India.

Fergus MacLeod, who is an executive for the oil company Saudi Aramco, was arrested after Indian authorities discovered he had brought a satellite phone into the country.

MacLeod was visiting for a wellness break in the Himalayas but the retreat was cut short when he was arrested at his hotel Valley of Flowers national park in Uttarakhand.

Satellite phones have been prohibited in India following their use in the four-day bombing and shooting attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

The 62-year-old had purchased the phone in the UK and used it during work travels in Saudi Arabia.

Despite passing through two airports in India with the phone, issues only arise when he switched the phone on at his hotel, he told the Financial Times.

MacLeod said he didn't experience any abuse in jail, it was still "a frightening place and a highly traumatic experience".

Repeated requests to contact his lawyer, his family and the British High Commission were ignored, and he shared a cell with serious criminals.

After six days of questioning, he was freed when his friends paid bail.

Despite paying bail, MacLeod was unable to leave India until his court hearing on July 27, where he pleaded guilty and had to pay a Rs1,000 (NZ$20) fine.

This news closely follows that of kiwi influencers Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray, who were detained in Iran for four months.

The couple were travelling the world in a van and documenting their journey on social media when they suddenly stopped all contact after entering Iran.

It has since been revealed they were detained for months but have since been released and are safe.