Gurdip Singh,Indian convict in Indonesia, spared execution for now, speaks to wife
Singh was to have faced the firing squad on Thursday night. The reason for his reprieve has, however, not been officially stated. According to reports, ten more convicts would be executed later.
Reports said 48-year-old Gurdip Singh, who hails from Jalandhar, spoke to his wife Kulwinder Kaur on the phone and told her that he was hoping to be saved.
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has assured the family that she is doing her best to save him.
"Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj tweeted on Friday morning.
Singh was convicted in 2004 on charges of drug smuggling. Duped by an agent into paying for what he believed was a work visa in New Zealand, he was allegedly abandoned mid-journey in Indonesia.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said Singh has the right to appeal to the President of Indonesia for clemency. "Our officials have met Gurdip Singh and the embassy has asked the government of Indonesia to look at all legal options," he said.
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