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Indian in Pakistan prison: Vahanvati to assist in case

Legal Correspondent

181 others are also languishing

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Solicitor-General G.E. Vahanvati to respond to a petition filed by an Indian prisoner, languishing in a Pakistani jail for the last 22 years on charges of spying, praying for steps by the Centre for his release.

Gopal Dass, in his petition through his brother Anand Vir, said he was now lodged in the Lahore Central Jail.

When the matter came up for admission, a Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice R.V. Raveendran, after hearing counsel Saurabh Mishra, asked Mr. Vahanvati to render assistance in the case.

Counsel said Mr. Dass could be released only through diplomatic channels but the Centre was not taking any step in that direction. Hence Dass, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1986, was languishing in jail even after completing it in 2005. Counsel said that according to a letter sent by the prisoner to his brother, 181 other Indians were serving various terms of sentence, and wanted the court to direct the Centre to file a status report.

The petitioner said he was arrested by the Pakistani security forces for crossing the border inadvertently.

Seeking suitable directions to the Centre, he said: “The government of Pakistan decided to release him on August 14 (Pakistan’s Independence Day) last but the government of India did not take any action.”

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