Delhi HC seeks urgent legal aid for Indians on death row in Indonesia

Court urges swift legal and diplomatic action to aid three Indians sentenced to death in Indonesia over drug trafficking charges

The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to provide immediate legal support to three Indian nationals who have been sentenced to death, stressing the importance of helping them file appeals without delay.

 

Tamil Nadu men on death penalty

 

The three men - Raju Muthukumaran, Selvadurai Dinakaran, and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan - are all from Tamil Nadu, and were arrested in July 2024 for allegedly attempting to smuggle 106 kilogrammes of crystal meth aboard the cargo ship 'Legend Aquarius'.

 

An Indonesian court recently handed them the death penalty under the country’s strict narcotics laws.

 

Court responds to family's plea

 

The Delhi HC was hearing a petition filed by the convicts’ spouses, who said the men worked in Singapore and were the sole breadwinners of their families. They also pointed out that the men lacked the means to access legal help abroad.

 

Justice Sachin Datta took note of the urgency due to Indonesia’s strict appeal deadlines and issued directions to both the ministry of external affairs and the Indian consulate in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

"The Indian Consulate in Indonesia is directed to... ensure that the convicted Indian nationals are afforded adequate legal representation," the court said, adding "The Ministry of External Affairs... is also directed to pursue the matter at the diplomatic level."

 

The court also asked that the three prisoners be allowed to maintain contact with their families in India.

 

The petitioners told the court they had only received a copy of the Indonesian judgment on April 29, which left them with very little time to act. The Delhi HC has scheduled its next hearing for May 6.