Jadhav case: India summons Pak deputy high commissioner
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday summoned the Pakistan deputy high commissioner on the issue of death penalty being given to Kulbhushan Jadhav by a military court there and made a fresh demand for consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.
Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haidar Shah was called by the external affairs ministry which reiterated that Jadhav was innocent and false charges were framed against him, according to sources.
Shah's summoning comes five days after Indian envoy Gautam Bambawale had met the Pakistan foreign secretary and sought a certified copy of the charge sheet and the army court order in the case, besides consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.
“We definitely want to appeal against the judgement but we cannot do it unless we have the details of charges and a copy of verdict. So, my demand was that the details of the charge sheet and a copy of the verdict be provided to us,” Bambawale had said after the meeting.
Expressing disappointment over Pakistan turning down India's request for consular access to Jadhav, the Indian envoy had also said, “They have denied our request for consular access 13 times (in the last one year).
“I have forcefully asked for consular access on the basis of the international law and on humanitarian grounds as he is an Indian national.” NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it would not interfere with the process relating to the release of death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav from a Pakistani jail, as the government was taking all steps to safeguard his life.
The Pakistan army chief had on April 10 confirmed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav, a former Naval officer, by a Pakistani military court after he was convicted of "espionage".
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra observed that at a time when the entire energies of the government are required to be devoted to addressing such a serious matter, this petition has sought to "divert our attention".
"We have no doubt at all that the respondent (central government) are best placed to take the decisions, as also all appropriate steps to safeguard the life and liberty of the citizens of this country. In view of the above, as the concerns raised in petition are being addressed by the respondent, no intervention by us in the matter is called for," the bench said. The high court accepted the stand of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain that the Union of India was making every possible endeavour with urgency to get Jadhav back.
"We find no reason to disbelieve the submission made by ASG when he informs this court that every possible endeavour is being made by the Government of India to safeguard the life and liberty of its citizen," it noted. AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday sought the stands of the Union and the state governments on a plea seeking cancellation of a 1994 official resolution which had inducted people of 39 castes into the OBC list.
The plea by BJP corporator Ajmal Thakor of Visnagar Nagarpalika in Mehsana district also sought a fresh survey to identify other backward communities and create a new list of the Other Backward Class.
The division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi issued notices to the Union and the state governments as well as the national and state OBC commissions on Thakor's petition.
Thakor in his plea filed through his counsel Rohit Patel contended that the inclusion of 39 castes in the OBC list was not based on any review or recommendation of the OBC panel and that it was against the Supreme Court's 1993 order in Indra Sahwney case.
In the Sahwney case, while directing periodic review of the list every ten years, the apex court had ordered that no caste be included without recommendation or review of the commission.
The 1994 official resolution was made by the state government alone and was based on Parikshit Majmudar Commission's recommendation of 1953 in the old state of Saurashtra, it said.