Concern voiced in LS over sentencing of Indians in Sharjah

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) The issue of 17 Indians awarded
death sentence by a court in Sharjah in a murder case was
raised in Lok Sabha Monday, with Congress member Manish Tewari
demanding the matter be taken up at the diplomatic level.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Tewari asked the
government to take up the matter at the diplomatic level with
the government in Sharjah.
"On March 30, 17 Indians were sentenced by a Sharjah court
for a murder. 16 of them are from Punjab while one is from
Haryana....They are poor labourers arrested from their homes
where they were sleeping," Tewari said.
He claimed that they were not provided any lawyer to
defend themselves.
"Though hearing in the case continued for 15 months nobody
from the Indian embassy there went to meet them. There is an
atmosphere of fear for Indians living abroad. A message should
go out from this House on this issue," Tewari said.
Sharad Yadav (Janata Dal-United) also raised the matter of
Indians living abroad but his voice was lost in the din as the
Speaker adjourned the House for lunch.
The sensitive issue of atrocities against Indians living
in other countries has rocked Parliament in the recent past.
Earlier, on the attack against Indians in Australia,
Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has made a
statement in the House. PTI RC
RBT