Jailed Merchant Navy captain's family meets PM to seek his release(Update/Sunil James/PM)

The family of jailed Merchant Navy captain Sunil James met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to secure his release from a month-long detention in the West African country of Togo, for last rites of his son.

James is facing charges of aiding pirates. Efforts are on for James' release so that he can join his family in Mumbai to perform the last rites of his 11-month-old son, who died earlier this month.

James has been under arrest in Togo since July 31 on suspicion of aiding pirates who had attacked and looted his Marshall Islands-flagged MT Ocean Centurion ship on July 16.

James' brother-in-law Rakesh Madappa said: "We have had a meeting with the Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister was kind enough to tell us that his office is doing everything that is humanly possible. They secured the either one full and final release of Captain Sunil James or on humanitarian grounds at least pardon and relief for few weeks so that he can come back to India and fulfil his duties as a father."

Earlier in September, James' wife, Aditi, had stated that her husband had been living on bread for the past one month and that he had fever and an infection in one eye, and the cell had no proper medical aid.

Aditi said she has been pursuing the case with the governments of India and Ghana and added that Sunil James' condition was deteriorating and nothing was being done about it.

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said: "Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) has given an assurance that Indian government will take all possible steps and get Sunil James released."

James' 11-month-old son, Vivaan, died on December 2 after developing gangrene in his intestine while undergoing treatment at Andheri's Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai.

His body has been kept in the hospital morgue's cold storage.