Death sentence of Punjab's Baljinder Singh, jailed in Saudi Arabia, remains intact, family appeals to PM Modi for help.
Author, Gurpreet Chawla
Designation for BBC Punjabi
Published 3 minutes ago
Reading Time: 6 minutes
"Now only the Modi government and Modi himself can save our son. All other avenues of help have been closed. We knocked on the doors of all the courts, even the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, but his punishment remains intact."
These are the words of the elderly parents of Baljinder Singh, resident of Firozpur Kalan village in Sujanpur area of Pathankot.
Baljinder Singh has been sentenced to death in an alleged drug smuggling case in Saudi Arabia. Now his family is appealing for help from the Government of India and the Government of Punjab.
Baljinder Singh used to work as a truck driver in Saudi Arabia.
Baljinder Singh's house in Punjab is constantly visited by relatives, journalists and other people. He has elderly parents, wife and two small children at home. Concern and helplessness are clearly visible on the faces of the family members.
What is the matter?
According to the family, Baljinder Singh is in jail in Saudi Arabia since 2024. Before this, he was living in Dubai for employment since 2017 and worked as a truck driver.
The family says that after spending leave in 2023, he had gone abroad again.
According to the family, on February 6, 2024, Baljinder Singh was going from Dubai to Saudi Arabia by truck. He stopped for some time at a place before the Saudi border. There a person showed him a video of his elderly father living in Saudi Arabia and requested him to deliver a packet of medicine there.
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The family says that Baljinder had taken the packet to deliver medicine for the sick elderly.
However, during the search of the truck at the Dubai-Saudi border, narcotics were allegedly recovered from that packet. After this Baljinder Singh was arrested.
According to the family, the person who came to Saudi Arabia to collect the packet was also arrested in this case. The family says that during the hearing of the case, he was also sentenced to death.
Hope on Indian Government
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Baljinder's father Jaswinder Singh says that earlier his family was living a normal and happy life. He has two sons and both work abroad. The family calls itself Amritdhari Gursikh family.
But now after the arrest of Baljinder, the life of the entire family has changed. Jaswinder Singh says, "We tried to fight the case in different courts. Now the Supreme Court has also upheld the death penalty."
After this, the family's hopes rest on the Government of India.
Baljinder's wife Sunil Lata says that the situation at home has changed since the day her husband was arrested.
Although Baljinder speaks on phone from jail once or twice a week, the family prays every day in the hope that some good news will come.
According to Sunil Lata, "We have met many leaders of BJP and Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Apart from this, we have also sent emails to the Ministry of External Affairs of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help."
Baljinder's younger brother, living in Dubai, has also sent an email to the Indian Government and a letter to the Indian Embassy appealing for help.
But the family says they have not received any response yet.
Sunil Lata says, "My husband never took drugs and there is no case registered against him in India. Baljinder is an Amritdhari Gursikh and he was only carrying a medicine packet for a sick old man."
Sunil Lata tells that she has a 12 year old daughter. He also has a young son who repeatedly asks about his father.
He says that he does not have answers to many of the children's questions. On the other hand, due to this shock, the health of the elderly parents has also started deteriorating.
Now the family says that after Baljinder Singh's death sentence remains intact in Saudi Arabia, their last hope is from the Central Government.
what did the lawyer tell
Akbar Al-Mutairi, the lawyer who filed a cassation petition (a petition challenging the decisions of lower or appeal courts) in the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia against the decision to convict Baljinder Singh, has given information about this matter through email.
He told that his role in this case was limited to the cassation proceedings in the Supreme Court. This was the last stage of the legal process of the case.
According to him, he did not represent Baljinder Singh in the trial court or the appeal court. According to the information he received, no lawyer was present on behalf of Baljinder in both these phases.
The lawyer further said that he had filed a cassation petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision to convict Baljinder Singh. In this he had presented all the legal grounds and arguments in favor of Baljinder.
However, according to him, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia upheld the death sentence given by the Tajir (judge in Islamic law). With this the cassation proceedings ended.
Now Baljinder Singh's family is demanding intervention from the Indian government.
