Chandigarh: A Punjab Minister on Monday said
he has been refused permission by the Centre to visit the UAE
to meet the 17 Indian youths sentenced to death by a Sharjah
Court for allegedly killing a Pakistani.
Punjab Public Relations and NRIs Minister Sewa Singh
Sekhwan said he was denied permission to lead a delegation to
Dubai this week by the central government citing "sensitivity
of the matter".
"Such callous attitude of the Government of India to
deny permission to the delegation on the pretext of
'sensitivity of the matter' was nothing but miscarriage of
justice," Sekhwan said in a statement.
The Shiromani Akali Dal leader termed the decision as
"arbitrary, irrational and against the interests of Punjabis".
"This visit was intended to boost the morale of
Punjabi youths who are facing death sentence and to express
solidarity on behalf of Punjabis," he said.
He said it was "obligatory" on the part of Punjab
government and Shiromani Akali Dal to enquire about the well
being of these youth and the status of the legal process
involved.
A Sharjah court had on March 29 found the 17 Indians,
16 from the Punjab and one from Haryana, guilty of beating a
Pakistani man to death and wounding three others during a
fight in the Al Sajaa industrial area in January last year.
The Indians had appealed against the decision.
The Sharjah Court of Appeal on May 19 adjourned the
case to June 16 after allowing them access to a Punjabi
translator.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 24, 2010, 18:14