New Delhi [India], May 6 : The Central Government on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that the Consulate General of India in Indonesia has extended all possible assistance to the three Indian nationals facing the death penalty.
Consular access was granted, and an Intent to Appeal for the three individuals was filed through jail authorities on May 2, 2025.
On the same day, the cousin brother of one of the convicted individuals met with all three in the detention centre, accompanied by the Vice Consul, CGI Medan.
Advocate Ashish Dixit, representing the Central Government, further informed the court that following the Intent to Appeal, the three Indian nationals have seven days to submit their formal appeal in the High Court.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of India in Jakarta and CGI Medan have launched a comprehensive search to identify a qualified advocate who can provide legal services and represent them in court. This step was deemed necessary as the convicted individuals have opted not to retain their previous lawyer for the appeal process.
Taking note of these submissions, Justice Sachin Datta expressed satisfaction with the efforts being made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Consulate General of India in Indonesia. He sought a status report on the matter and scheduled the next hearing for August 4, 2025.
During the last hearing regarding the death penalty handed down by an Indonesian court to the three Indian nationals, the Delhi High Court directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take necessary steps to ensure the individuals receive adequate legal representation and assistance in pursuing appellate remedies.
Additionally, the Consulate was instructed to facilitate communication between the convicted individuals and their families in India.
The court also directed the MEA to engage diplomatically with the Indonesian government to safeguard the rights of the Indian nationals under applicable international conventions or bilateral agreements, if any.
The case concerns a petition filed by the spouses of three Indian nationals, Raju Muthukumaran, Selvadurai Dinakaran, and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan, who were sentenced to death by an Indonesian court on narcotics-related charges.
According to the plea, the three men were employed at a shipyard when they were apprehended by the Indonesian Narcotics Department for possession of narcotics. They were subsequently convicted and sentenced to death following the judgment of the Tanjung Balai Karimun District Court on *April 25, 2025.
The petitioners, wives of the convicted individuals, argue that their husbands are the sole breadwinners of their families and lack the financial means to pursue the prescribed appellate remedy in Indonesia.
They also underscore the strict limitation period for filing an appeal, which demands urgent legal action post-judgment.