The government yesterday denounced Pakistan for its handling of the visit of the wife and mother of an Indian man on death row, saying they were harassed and prevented from talking to the prisoner freely.
Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian navy, was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistan province of Baluchistan and convicted of planning espionage and sabotage.
His wife and mother were allowed to meet him behind a glass window on Monday eight months after he was sentenced to death but that gesture of goodwill appeared to have quickly descended into acrimony.
Foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Jadhav’s family was subjected to harassment when they arrived to meet him.
“The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav,” Kumar said in a statement.
Jadhav’s case has added to long running tensions between the two nations.
The government says Jadhav is innocent and India won an injunction from the World Court to delay his execution, arguing he was denied diplomatic assistance during his trial by a military court.
Pakistan authorities say Jadhav confessed to being assigned by India’s intelligence service to plan, co-ordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities in Baluchistan “aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan”.
On Monday, Pakistan released a picture of Jadhav’s mother, Avanti, and wife, Chetankul, seated at a desk and speaking to him from behind the glass partition.
Islamabad said it had honoured its commitment to give access to the family.
But India said the two women were asked to change their dress and remove personal jewellery on the pretext of security.
Jadhav’s mother was not allowed to speak in her native Marathi language and was frequently interrupted.
Pakistani authorities also refused to return the shoes that Jadhav’s wife had worn, Kumar said, warning against potential mischief.
He didn’t elaborate.
Kumar said Jadhav appeared to be under considerable stress and under coercion at the meeting with his family. “Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well-being.”