Conviction of Mangaluru man in Saudi Arabia; High Court advises to consult foreign affairs ministry

Conviction of Mangaluru man in Saudi Arabia; High Court advises to consult foreign affairs ministry

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, September 1, 2023: The Karnataka High Court has recommended reaching out to the foreign affairs ministry concerning the conviction of a Mangalurean in Saudi Arabia for allegedly posting blasphemous content. This suggestion came from the bench led by Justice Krishna S. Dixit during a recent hearing of the case.

Shailesh Kumar, a resident of Barnakatte near Mangaluru, received a 15-year prison sentence in Saudi Arabia for blasphemy.

The bench further advised Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia to engage in discussions with former Union minister for foreign affairs, Kunwar Natwar Singh. Justice Dixit referred to Natwar Singh’s expertise, as he is also an IFS officer who wrote the book ‘One Life Is Not Enough,’ which discusses similar incidents. The book outlines steps to take if a foreign government is not sharing information, according to the bench’s opinion.

The bench posed the question, "Why not seek the advice of Natwar Singh, who possesses extensive knowledge on this matter?"

Moin Akthar, an officer at the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, informed the court that despite personal meetings with Saudi authorities, they had refused to provide a copy of the conviction order for the Karnataka man. Subsequently, the Saudi authorities requested the Indian embassy to send an email on this matter, but no response had been received as of yet.

"Moin Akhtar stated, "The officials requested time to meet Shailesh Kumar, the convicted individual, and permission was granted for a meeting on September 3. On that day, we will attempt to obtain a copy of the conviction from him." The bench adjourned the case until September 11.

Previously, the court had directed the Union government to obtain a copy of the judgment and related certified documents from the Saudi Arabian court regarding the conviction of Shailesh Kumar.

The bench, led by Krishna S. Dixit, also issued directions to assist in filing a petition before the King of Saudi Arabia to review the punishment. Additionally, the bench instructed the Central government to provide information on the procedure for filing a mercy petition in cases involving blasphemy, sedition, and breach of trust.

The petition was filed by Kavitha, the wife of Shailesh Kumar. The bench had adjourned the case until August 17.

Kavitha had previously appealed to the Centre to secure the release of her husband, who had become a victim of hacking and was arrested by the Saudi Arabian government. She claimed that he had been targeted for posting a patriotic message on social media.

According to Kavitha, miscreants had created a fake social media account in her husband’s name and posted derogatory messages against the King of Saudi Arabia and Islam. Shailesh had been working in Saudi Arabia for 20 years. Kavitha explained, "My husband had posted a patriotic message on his social media account and received a threatening call from a stranger. The stranger warned Shailesh to remove the social media account, or they would not allow him to stay in Saudi Arabia. To avoid any trouble, Shailesh deactivated his account."

However, miscreants subsequently created a fake social media account in Shailesh’s name and posted offensive messages against Islam and the King of Saudi Arabia, leading to a conspiracy to have him arrested, she said.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction with the police department and officers’ handling of the case, warning of potential action against them for failing to comply with court orders. The court emphasized the need to bring an Indian citizen in trouble on foreign soil back to India.