HYDERABAD, FEB 28: The visiting Speaker of the State Duma of Russian Federation, Gennady N Seleznyov on Monday sought mercy for the five ethnic Russians convicted by a civil court in Calcutta recently in the Purulia armsdrop case. Seleznyov, head of a 21-member Parliamentary delegation, was here on a visit to the Legislative Assembly and other tourist places. In an informal chat with newspersons after meeting State Assembly Speaker Pratibha Bharathi, Seleznyov said he would meet President K R Narayanan and Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi in New Delhi on Tuesday and urge them to grant mercy to the five Latvians and send them to Russia for trial. The lower court on February 2 had convicted Britisher Peter Bleach and five Latvians in the Purulia armsdrop case and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs 25,000 each on the charge of conspiring to wage war against the State. Seleznyov recalled that the Duma, constituted after the recent elections, had also passed a resolution urging the Indian Government to soften its stand on the five Latvians and send them to Russia. Earlier, the delegation was apprised of the setup and functioning of the Assembly. Stating that India and Russia enjoyed excellent trade relations, Seleznyov hoped the volume of the business which is around $ 6 billion would increase to $ 125 billion. He said the Indo-Russian summit would take place after the Presidential elections in Russia. India and Russia also had good cooperation in the field of science and technology, Seleznyov said and added that Russia had helped India in its scientific advancement.
