Peter Bleach, 5 Latvians sentenced to life in Purulia armsdrop case

CALCUTTA, FEB 2: Observing that the Purulia armsdrop case was the rarest of its kind'', Calcutta Sessions Court Judge P K Biswas today s...

CALCUTTA, FEB 2: Observing that the Purulia armsdrop case was “the rarest of its kind”, Calcutta Sessions Court Judge P K Biswas today sentenced prime accused Peter Bleach and five Latvians to life imprisonment. Calling the sentence “exemplary punishment”, Biswas said the six convicted by him earlier on January 31 did not deserve any sympathy.

The life term was given under Section 121 A of the IPC for the role of the six in a “conspiracy by some insurgent groups to overthrow the West Bengal Government”. They were also convicted under the Arms Act, Explosives Act and Aircraft Act, and the punishment awarded for these crimes ranged from 10 years to three months. However, all the sentences would run concurrently.As per norms, Justice Biswas granted the five Latvians and Bleach a hearing on their conviction.

For the five Latvians, who were crew members aboard the AN-26 plane that dropped arms in Purulia, the sentence has come as a big surprise. “It is incredible, inhuman and cruel,” they told theRussian Embassy staff who were present in the courtroom.However, Bleach, a British national who is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the conspiracy, was undaunted.

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“It is a travesty of justice and the sentence has been given on false evidence,” he said. Talking to reporters from behind the court enclosure, he added: “I am disappointed, but certainly not surprised. I am going to take the matter to the higher courts and I am 100 per cent sure of being cleared of the charges.”

Asked how he planned to spend his life behind bars, Bleach retorted: “I am certainly not going to write my life story. I will read. I have absolutely no problem with the jail staff.”

He, however, admitted that he felt bad for his family back in London. But on being asked if he had any message for his girlfriend Joe, he replied: “I do have. But that’s strictly private.”

Almost all the Latvians described India as a country they loved and respected. “We couldn’t have performed with our full knowledge anything thatwould prove inimical to India,” they said, and they are going to cite this for seeking clemency. They also pleaded the judge today to be sympathetic, talking about their families back home. “When I left home in December 1995, my daughter was very small. She is now studying in the second standard at Altisa Slava, Latvia. But four years in jail is long enough for a daughter to forget her father,” worried Igor Moskvitine.

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Said Igor Timmerman: “I have an ailing 70-year old mother at home. She has no earnings, no means of livelihood. I have lost my job. But, above all, we have provided all help to the investigators in this case.”

Oleg Gaidach, another one of the Latvians, pointed out that he had fractured rib bones while in custody and had been suffering for the past four years.Before pronouncing the sentences, Justice Biswas admitted that a judge enjoys discretionary power while awarding sentences. “But in order to meet the ends of justice, punishment has to be deterrent in nature. This is the firsttime that the daunting magnitude of such a crime, having serious repercussions on national security and safety of the public, has come to light,” he observed.