Plea in HC for directions to Centre to secure Jadhav's release

A social activist today moved the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for release of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national on death row in Pakistan.

The petition sought direction to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to approach the ICJ for providing consular access to Jadhav, saying the former Naval officer has not only been illegally detained by Pakistan but also wrongly awarded capital punishment.

Petitioner Rahul Sharma also said that the Pakistan military has failed to provide fair trial to Jadhav. The Pakistan army chief had on April 10 confirmed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav, a 46-year-old former Naval officer, by a Pakistani military court after he was convicted of "espionage".

The petition, which is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow, sought direction to the authorities for securing release of Jadhav. It said government should also issue protocol for release of Indians abducted/kidnapped in other countries.