Delhi High Court Orders Adequate Legal Representation To Three Indians On Death Row In Indonesia

The Delhi High Court has ordered that adequate legal representation be provided to three Indian nationals who are on death row in Indonesia.

Justice Sachin Datta directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take requisite steps for ensuring that the convicted Indian nationals are afforded adequate legal representation and to render appropriate assistance to them for pursuing appellate remedies.

The Court also ordered the Consulate to facilitate communication between the convicted individuals and their families here.

“The respondent no.2 / Ministry of External Affairs, Union of India is also directed to pursue the matter at the diplomatic level with the Indonesian government, for the protection of the Indian nationals under applicable international conventions or bilateral agreement/s (if any),” the Court said.

Justice Datta was dealing with a petition filed by spouses of three Indian Nationals- Raju Muthukumaran, Selvadurai Dinakaran and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan, who were given death penalty by an Indonesian Court for the offence committed under the local Indonesian law concerning possession of Narcotics.

It was submitted that the three Indian nationals were working in “ASL Shipyard” and were detained by the Narcotics Department of the Indonesian Government for possession of Narcotics.

They were convicted and were awarded death penalty on April 25.

It was submitted that the petitioners were of limited means and had no where-with-all to pursue the appellate remedy before the concerned Courts in Indonesia.

It was submitted that the limitation period for pursing the appellate remedy is very stringent and requisite steps were required to be taken urgently.

The Court issued notice on the plea and listed the matter for hearing next on May 06.

Title: N. DEEPIKA & ORS. v. UNION OF INDIA & ANR. 

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 505

Click here to read order