The Hindu : Peter Bleach freed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 05, 2004

National

National

Peter Bleach freed

By Marcus Dam

Peter Bleach, key accused in the Purulia arms drop case, waves to the crowd as he emerges from the Alipore Central Jail in Kolkata on Wednesday. The Britisher was released from the jail on Wednesday following a Presidential remission of the remainder of his sentence. - Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

KOLKATA, FEB. 4. The British national, Peter Bleach, convicted in the December 1995 Purulia arms drop case, was released here today, after more than eight years of imprisonment. His life sentence was remitted by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, last week.

``I am a free man at last. My ordeal is finally over and this is a very emotional moment. The [past] years have not been easy and I am now eagerly looking forward to returning to the U.K. and seeing my family again, especially my elderly mother and my friend Jo Fletcher who have been praying for me...I spoke to them just now and perhaps that was the first taste of freedom,'' Mr. Bleach said today after he was released from the Alipore Central Jail where he had spent more than two years, in a cell with a typewriter and a heater as a special privilege.

But ``nothing can replace the years that I have lost,'' said Mr. Bleach outside the office of the British Deputy High Commissioner shortly after his release. ``It has been a long struggle since 1995 and I feel vindicated that the Government of India has finally taken the decision to free me, as it did the Latvians who were released in July 2000. This is not the time for me to go into [the] details of my case but I wish to affirm that I stand by my convictions [about the unfairness of the case],'' he said.

As for his future plans: ``returning to my family and wait for [my return] to be with my mother and Jo Fletcher whose wait have been longer than mine.''

Mr. Bleach said, ``I wish to express my gratitude to the British Government which has relentlessly pursued my case with the Indian authorities at the highest level. I also wish to express my thanks to every member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who has supported me."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National