New Delhi: The death sentence handed to Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage in Pakistan may not be carried out immediately as the Indian national has the options of appealing against the sentence and filing a mercy petition before the Pakistan president.
Sources in Pakistan said Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer whom Pakistan has dubbed as a spy, has 60 days to file an appeal before the Military Apellatte Tribunal. After that, he has another 60 days to file a mercy petition before Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.
New Delhi has said it will regard as "premeditated murder" if Pakistan carries out the death sentence against Jadhav "without observing basic norms of law and justice".
The proceedings that have led to the sentence against Jadhav are "farcical in the absence of any credible evidence" against him, the demarche said, adding it is significant that Indian High Commission was not even informed that Jadhav was being brought to trial.
"If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder," the foreign secretary said in the demarche.
Jadhav was "arrested" on March 3 last year by Pakistani security forces in the restive Balochistan province after he reportedly entered from Iran. Pakistan has alleged that Jadhav was "a serving officer" in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
India has acknowledged that Jadhav served with the navy but denied he has any connection with the government.
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