Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India accuses Pakistan of harassing family of 'spy' on death row

India on Tuesday accused Pakistan of harassing the family of an alleged Indian spy on death row, saying their meeting was held in an "atmosphere of coercion".

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav met his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday, their first meeting since his arrest in Pakistan last year on charges of espionage and terrorism, allegations India has rejected.


"It appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement shortly after top Indian officials debriefed his family in New Delhi.

The ministry alleged that Jadhav's conversation during the meeting was "tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan."

Pakistani officials say Jadhav, who was arrested in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, confessed to spying for Indian intelligence, and describe him as "the face of Indian terrorism in Pakistan".

Jadhav was found guilty in a closed trial by a military court and sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terrorism.

India took the case to the International Court of Justice which suspended his execution until it passes final judgement in the case.

Pictures released by the Pakistan government on Monday showed Jadhav and his family speaking through a glass barrier at the foreign ministry in Islamabad.

An Indian diplomat was present during the meeting, which lasted 40 minutes, but was not allowed to talk to the prisoner or listen to the conversation with his family.

New Delhi said Pakistan disrespected the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family, alleging they were asked to change their clothes, and that his wife was ordered to remove her "mangal sutra" -- a necklace worn by married Hindu women.

The Indian foreign ministry added that Pakistani authorities did not return the shoes Jadhav's wife was ordered to remove.

It also accused Islamabad of allowing local journalists to "harass and hector" the Jadhav family, violating an understanding between Islamabad and New Delhi to not allow the media "close" access.

India also raised concerns over Jadhav's health, although he was seen sitting up in the grainy pictures. Pakistani officials said he was in good health.

New Delhi has maintained that Jadhav is innocent and that he was kidnapped by Pakistani authorities, also accusing Islamabad of violating the Vienna Convention by denying Jadhav consular access.

The nuclear-armed neighbours routinely accuse one another of sending spies into their countries.

Jadhav joined India's prestigious National Defence Academy in 1987 and was commissioned as an engineer in the Indian Navy in 1991 before reportedly starting a business in Iran.

More For You

JLR-Tata-Getty

JLR had initially planned to manufacture more than 70,000 electric vehicles at the facility. (Photo: Getty Images)

JLR halts plan to build EVs at Tata’s India plant: Report

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) has put on hold plans to manufacture electric vehicles at Tata Motors’ upcoming £775 million factory in southern India, according to a news report.

The decision was influenced by challenges in balancing price and quality for locally sourced EV components, three of the sources said. They added that slowing demand for electric vehicles was also a factor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

Sarju Khushal

Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

A MAN who supplied controlled drugs on a ‘wholesale’ scale across Leicestershire has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Sarju Khushal, 30, was arrested in 2022 after investigations revealed he had been transporting drugs from Lancashire into the area.

Khushal, formerly of Hazeldene Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to several charges, including the supply and conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced at Leicester crown court last Thursday (6).

Keep ReadingShow less
Tamil Nadu Education

Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people

Getty images

Education or imposition? Tamil Nadu battles India government over Hindi in schools

A war of words has erupted between Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin and the federal government over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends a three-language formula in schools, with two of the three being native to India. Stalin has voiced strong objections, claiming that the policy could lead to the imposition of Hindi, a northern Indian language, in non-Hindi-speaking states like Tamil Nadu. The issue has reignited old tensions between southern states and the central government over the privileging of Hindi.

Historical resistance to Hindi

Tamil Nadu has a deep-rooted history of opposing the promotion of Hindi, dating back to the 1960s. Protests broke out in the state when the federal government attempted to make Hindi the sole official language, leading to a compromise that allowed the continued use of English. Language in Tamil Nadu is not merely a means of communication but a powerful symbol of cultural identity. Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people. As a result, any perceived threat to its prominence is met with strong resistance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

Thangam Debbonaire

Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

FORMER Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire has taken her seat in the House of Lords after being awarded a life peerage last month.

The 58-year-old, who represented Bristol West for Labour from 2015 until July’s general election, wore the traditional scarlet robes during her introductory ceremony. She will now be known as Baroness Debbonaire of De Beauvoir Town in the London Borough of Hackney.

Keep ReadingShow less