In Bangkok,Indian prisoners seek government acceptance

Rajwant Kaur,Daljeet’s elder sister claims that while on Bangkok tour,her brother met a person from China who was also arrested with Daljeet. “My brother told me that both of them were kept in police custody for days and were made to sign some papers in Thai language. Later,they were produced in the court and were sentenced to an imprisonment of 25 years,” Rajwant said

“Daljeet said that during the trial,he was not provided with either a translator or an advocate. He was arrested after drugs were found in his luggage for which,according to the documents produced by the police,he had pleaded guilty,” Rajwant said.

Similar is the case of several other prisoners lodged in the Bangkhwang Central Jail who had been writing letters to the International Human Rights Organization (IHRO) seeking help. They say no of them are being provided with advocates and translators by the Indian embassy despite the consulate being summoned by the local courts.

Jaspreet Singh Sidhu,president of IHRO said,“Daljeet is just one case. There are nearly 50 other Indian prisoners lodged there and all of them have been complaining about the ignorant attitude of the Indian consulate there”.

“It was in April 2012 when the Indian consulate had first visited the prisoners that too after the IHRO wrote to the Centre about the prisoners being ignored and denied medical facilities. That was the last time the prisoners ever saw any officer from the consulate,” Sidhu said.

Some of the prisoners are in constant touch with Sidhu. A letter by one of the prisoners,Hardyal Singh Dhindsa,a resident of Jalandhar reads,“Our (Indian nationals in Thailand’s prisons) sufferings are getting worse day by day because officials from Indian Embassy are not doing anything for us. All the requests made by us are being ignored.”

The letter also states that Dhindsa’s wife tried meeting the ambassador of India in Thailand but her request was rejected.

Another Indian national,Jasbir Singh,a resident of Jalandhar who is the oldest in the jail,had completed his sentence of 22 years in 2011. However,due to the fact that he had not been issued a pass by the Indian embassy there,Jasbir is still lodged there.