Hopes stays afloat for the Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed on Thursday night on drug charges in Indonesia. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said Singh has not been put to death and India was exploring all legal options to prevent his execution.
"Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on Twitter. Though it is not clear why Singh was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad, media reports claimed that Singh in a telephonic conversation with his family in Jalandhar on Friday morning indicated that it was due to Indian government's intervention. He is among 10 convicts out of 14 whose execution was not carried out.
Singh, reportedly, told his family that when he was taken before the firing squad something happened and just five minutes before his execution he was called back. He told his family that it was because of the Indian government that he was not shot. Singh termed his escape as a miracle and hoped the Indian government will pursue his case at the highest level.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was exploring all legal options, including Presidential pardon, to prevent Singh's execution. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian Foreign Office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue.
"Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh, was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said.
Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was awarded death penalty in 2005.
Appealing to the Indonesian Government for mercy to Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur said he has spent 14 years in jail which was enough penance for his crime if he was guilty and he should be sent back.
Singh's family believes he was duped by a travel agent and a victim of a criminal gang which is also involved in drug peddling.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, three terrorists involved in the attack on old age home run by Missionaries of Charity and kidnapping of Indian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, have been captured. However, sources said, there is information yet available on the whereabouts of Father Tom and Indian mission in Djibouti is working with local authorities to ascertain information on him.