17 youths jailed in Sharjah to return home next week Court waives death sentence

Tuesday, 13/09/2011

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110913/punjab.htm#6

Chandigarh/Dubai, September 12

After a Sharjah Appeal Court today waived their death sentence in the Mishri Khan murder case, 17 Indian boys, 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana, are set to reunite with their families back home early next week.

Mishri Khan from Pakistan was killed in a clash between two groups of workers involved in bootlegging in Sharjah in 2009. Early last year, all 17 Indian boys were sentenced to death for murdering Mishri Khan.

“It is a very happy occasion for me and all those who have supported the cause of these boys,” said a jubilant SP Singh Oberoi, a Dubai-based businessman, who was instrumental in helping the youths is escaping the gallows. He paid a major share of the blood money to Mishri Khan’s family. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh also chipped in both with financial and moral support.

The boys to be released from the Sharjah jail are Sukhjinder Singh of Patti, Sukhjot Singh of Sanghera, Ram Singh of Kanvi, Amritsar, Arvinder Singh of Ghokulwada, Gurdaspur, Baljeet Singh of Sangwal in Jalandhar, Daljeet Singh of Aitiana in Ludhiana, Dharampal Singh of Jhoke Tehal Singhwala in Ferozepur, Satgur Singh of Khanaur Jattan in Sangrur, Satnam Singh of Koolikalan in Ludhiana, Kashmir Singh of Rattu Ke in Tarn Taran, Suban Singh of Lohian Khas in Kapurthala, Kulwinder Singh of Bansipura in Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh of Kukrana in Moga, Sukhinder Singh of Nikki Miani in Kapurthala, Namjyot Singh of Raikot in Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh of Phagwara and Taranjit Singh of Kaithal, Haryana.

In March last year, an appeal was filed on behalf of the convicts by a battery of lawyers engaged by the Consulate-General of India in Dubai.While the hearing of the appeal was on, the Appeal Court asked the defence team if it was open for settlement with the family of the victim under the “Diya” law. Though the lawyers maintained that they had a foolproof case, they informed the court that they would go by the directions from the Consulate-General of India.Later, the court was informed that defence lawyers had no objection to the settlement between the families of the victim and those convicted.

After a series of meetings, the victim’s family,finally, agreed to accept the blood money and “pardon” the convicts. The settlement documents were submited in the Appeal Court last month and the final order was announced today. The court, after a brief hearing, pronounced the order, thus paving the way for early release of the youths. Since they had undergone imprisonment for more than three years, their revised sentence of a two-year jail term for other offences, including bootlegging and rioting, was taken to be completed.

All they now need is clearance from the Departments of Internal Security of other states of the UAE to fly back home. They have been banned from entering the UAE ever again. Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Oberoi said: “It may take a maximum week before we can get them formally released and bring them to India.”