While addressing a plea concerning the death penalty handed down by an Indonesian court to three Indian nationals, the Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take necessary measures to ensure that the convicted individuals receive proper legal representation and appropriate assistance in pursuing appellate remedies.
Additionally, the Consulate has been instructed to facilitate communication between the convicted individuals and their families in India.
Advocate Ashish Dixit, Standing Counsel for the Central Government and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), accepted the notice on behalf of the respondents and requested time to obtain instructions in the matter.
Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over the case, scheduled the next hearing for May 6, 2025, and directed the MEA to engage with the Indonesian government diplomatically to protect the rights of the Indian nationals under applicable international conventions or bilateral agreements, if any.
The case involves a petition filed by the spouses of three Indian nationals–Raju Muthukumaran, Selvadurai Dinakaran, and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan–who were sentenced to death by an Indonesian court for narcotics-related offences.
According to the plea, the three men were employed at a shipyard when they were detained by the Indonesian Narcotics Department for possession of narcotics.
Subsequently, they were convicted and sentenced to death under Indonesian law, as per the judgment of the Tanjung Balai Karimun District Court dated April 25, 2025.
The petitioners, wives of the convicted individuals, contend that their husbands are the sole breadwinners of their families and lack the financial means to pursue the prescribed appellate remedy in Indonesia.
They further highlight that the limitation period for filing an appeal is extremely strict, necessitating urgent legal action following the judgment.
