Ranjan Lakhanpal is fighting a losing battle for disowned spies

He says the men worked for the Research & Analysis Wing, the external intelligence arm of the government. Invariably, the Government does not acknowledge their existence. And yet he carries on fighting a battle that he knows will end in naught for the men, who claim they were sent as spies into Pakistan. Senior advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal of Chandigarh will not give up, but there is a hint of helplessness when he says, "The government disowns the men if they're caught and doesn't support them once they're back after a harrowing time in Pakistan jails."

He tells, for instance, of Karamat Rahi. The Gurdaspur resident was sent to Pakistan where he was apprehended and sent to 18 years in prison. Upon his return, he found himself a non-person. Lakhanpal took up his cause and filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking pension and employment for his son. What he got was a fine imposed by the Court for "wasting its time". Lakhanpal then appealed to the Supreme Court and was asked to submit proof that he actually worked for the government. He had no documentation to offer. "They have sacrificed their entire youth in the hope that their families will be taken care of. But they get nothing in return," says the lawyer.

There are many like Rahi who have come to Lakhanpal in the hope of getting justice. Kishori Lal from a village near Ludhiana has been fighting his case for over three years now. Balbir Singh from Amritsar who met Lakhanpal five years ago. These men now do menial jobs - one is a rickshaw puller, another works at a construction site. Both live in impoverished conditions.

Lakhanpal has been a lawyer for more than three decades now and comes from a family of lawyers - his father, brother and son are in the same profession. He started taking up the cases of these spies almost 15 years ago. Earlier, he had fought cases for Pakistani prisoners who were in Indian prisons for many years. He doesn't charge any money from them. His inspiration comes from the belief that he is fighting for a just cause. He gets two-three cases in a year, and it takes rigorous background checks by his team before he feels certain he is dealing with a genuine case. There have been times when random people have approached him saying they were spies when they were not.

Lakhanpal remains optimistic every time he takes up a case for the unacknowledged spy despite knowing that he is fighting a losing battle. Of the 40 cases he has filed on the matter, the closest to justice he has come to is when the government once responded with, "We will look into the matter." Then why does he do it? "These people are unsung heroes. They've been tortured in prison, lived in inhuman conditions for years. For what? They thought they were government's people."

His brother, Arjun Lakhanpal, also a lawyer, does not share his enthusiasm. He too took on certain cases about 10 years ago but realised that "not much was ever going to come out them." Ranjan, however, is convinced that even if he doesn't get his clients all they're asking for - job, compensation and recognition - he can at least fight for them. "I live in the hope that at least they will get some recognition for sacrificing half their lives for the government." Sarabjit Singh's case has given him hope - Singh got Rs 1.25 crore in compensation after he died - but Lakhanpal knows bringing the spy in from the cold is no easy task.