New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday (May 6) informed the Delhi High Court that the Indian embassy in Indonesia was providing all kind of assistance, including legal, to the three Indians on death row there.
The Centre informed Justice Sachin Datta this during a hearing on pleas filed by the spouses of the three Indians on death row in Indonesia. They have said that their husbands were bread winners for the family and worked at the shipping company in Singapore and they were of limited means.
Indonesian court awarded three Indians death penalty for violation of narcotics law
Govindasamy Vimalkandhan, Selvadurai Dinakaran and Raju Muthukumaran, who all hailed from Tamil Nadu, were arrested by the authorities in July last year for allegedly smuggling 106 kilogram of crystal meth aboard the Legend Aquarius cargo vessel. Tanjung Balai Karimun District Court, Indonesia awarded them death penalty on April 25 for violation of narcotics law.
The High Court earlier on May 2 directed the Indian consulate in Indonesia to ensure that the three Indian nationals were given adequate legal aid to pursue remedies.
The Centre assured the High Court on Tuesday that the authorities would continue providing all kind of assistance to the three Indians in Indonesia.
Embassy had taken steps towards availing the legal remedies and adequate assistance, Centre told High Court
The lawyer appearing for the Centre told the High Court that the embassy had taken steps towards availing the legal remedies and adequate assistance to the three Indian convicts even prior to the directions. It further told the court that the vice consul of the Indian embassy in Indonesia on his own filed the “intent to appeal” against the conviction of the three Indians on May 2 as their families were unable to do so, and the appeal would also be filed in a few days.
Embassy is in the process of engaging a lawyer, Centre told High Court
“The embassy is in the process of engaging a lawyer. In a few days, we will give details. We are in touch with the authorities diplomatically also,” the lawyer told the High Court and further added that consular access was granted and the embassy was in touch with the authorities in Indonesia since July 2024, news agency PTI reported.
The High Court has asked for a status report and fixed the matter for hearing on August 4.
