The court asked the MEA to speak to Indonesian authorities and provide all possible legal support to the three Indian nationals, who were convicted in a drug trafficking case.
New Delhi – On Friday, the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take up the case of three Indian men sentenced to death in Indonesia.
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The court asked the MEA to speak to Indonesian authorities and provide all possible legal support to the three Indian nationals, who were convicted in a drug trafficking case.
These instructions came during a hearing of a petition filed by the wives of the convicted men. The court also told the Indian Embassy in Indonesia to make sure the prisoners can stay in touch with their families in India.
The court said: “In the meantime, the Indian Consulate in Indonesia is directed to take requisite steps for the purpose of ensuring that the convicted Indian nationals are afforded adequate legal representation, and to render appropriate assistance to them for the purpose of pursuing appellate remedies; facilitate communication between the said convicted individuals and their families in India.”
The court also asked the MEA to “pursue the matter at the diplomatic level” with the Indonesian government.
The goal is to ensure that the rights of these Indian nationals are protected under “applicable international conventions or bilateral agreement, if any.”
The three men – Raju Muthukumaran (38), Selvadurai Dinakaran (33), and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan (37) – were employees at ASL Shipyard. On July 14, 2024, they were arrested by Indonesia’s Narcotics Department for distributing Class I narcotics (non-plant substances like crystal methamphetamine).
After the trial, they were sentenced to death by the Tanjung Balai Karimun District Court in Indonesia on April 25, 2025.
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The wives of the three men told the court that they are poor and cannot afford to file an appeal in Indonesia. Their husbands were the only earners in their families. They requested the Indian government to help them with legal support and make sure the men are not left alone in this difficult time.
The Centre was represented by standing counsel Ashish Dixit, who asked the court for more time to get further instructions from the concerned ministry.
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The Delhi High Court, after hearing the plea, issued notice to the Centre and posted the matter for further hearing on May 6, 2025.
