Government will ensure that Kulbhushan Jadhav gets justice: Rajnath Singh

The Government will ensure that Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer put on death row in Pakistan, gets justice, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

“The Government of India condemns the way Kulbhushan Jadhav has been awarded the death sentence in Pakistan. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that he gets justice,” Singh said.He spoke on behalf of the Government after the Lok Sabha members cutting across the party lines expressed anguish over the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan.

Singh said that Jadhav was a retired Indian Navy officer and was engaged in a business at Chabahar Port of Iran. He was



kidnapped by Pakistani agents in March 2016. Islamabad later claimed that he was an Indian spy and was arrested from restive Balochistan province of Pakistan. “Pakistan itself stated that a valid Indian passport was found in his possession. How can he an Indian spy if he was carrying a valid Indian passport?” wondered Singh.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, raised it soon after the House met for the day. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed the members to speak on the issue before starting Question Hour.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also make a statement in the Lok Sabha later on the death sentence awarded to Jadhav in Pakistan.