NEW DELHI: Was Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer, tortured by Pakistan in jail before being sentenced to death?


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The questions emerged after footage of Jadhav meeting his family was released in public domain.


On Monday, Jadhav met his wife Chetankul and mother Avanti for the first time after his detention in March 2016 for around 40 minutes.


Pictures of Jadhav speaking to his family through a glass barricade emerged after their meeting.


 



Soon after, social media and experts pointed to the following facts: 


1. Jadhav has lost a dramatic amount of weight
2. Black and blue bruises on his head, neck
3. Part of earlobe seems to be missing


All the above facts seem to allude to the fact that Jadhav was tortured by Pakistan authorities after he was arrested. 


“Disgusted with Pakistan!! How can you be so inhuman? Separating  #KulbhushanJadhav with a glass wall from his Mom & wife!! Making them wait for a car for a perry photo-op!! And look closely at KJ's head and ear! Clear torture bruises!! Just sick!! #FreeJadhav,” Congress leader Shehzad Jai Hind wrote on Twitter.


Several defence analysts argued that Jadhav was made to wear a coat to hide the signs of torture on his body.



 




Why did Jadhav speak in English and not his mother tongue Marathi?


Strangely, Jadhav spoke to his wife and mother in English and not his mother tongue Marathi.


Many seem to believe that Jadhav was speaking from a script.


“It was as if he was making scripted comments... The language that he spoke. Usually, when a man is emotional or angry, he speaks and abuses in his mother tongue. Here, he spoke in English. Why did he speak in English,” questioned eminent senior counsel Harish Salve.


Salve further expressed concern about Jadhav's mental well-being.


Tulshidas Pawar is Jadhav's childhood friend and lives in Mumbai's Parel area. He watched images of Jadhav's mother Avantika and wife Chetna sitting across a glass screen flicker on the TV set at his home.


"Can you imagine what a mother who last saw her son two years ago must have felt when allowed to meet him from across a glass partition and was unable to touch him," asked Pawar.


Meanwhile, Pakistan on Monday described Jadhav as "the face of Indian terror" and said it would decide on consular access to him at an appropriate time. 


Indian has always denied the allegations, saying Jadhav was abducted from Iran where he had gone on a private business trip and then brought to Pakistan.


With agency inputs