External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has tweeted that Gurdip Singh, who was arrested in Indonesia in the case of drug smuggling and who was sentenced to death by execution, has been spared by the Indonesian authorities. However, the four other convicts are executed.

Two Nigerians, one Senegalese and one Indonesian were executed after petitions to review their cases had been denied, according to reports.

Sushma Swaraj tweeted,

Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 29, 2016

Government was constantly in touch with the Indonesian authorities to demand clemency for Gurdip Singh. Sushma Swaraj on Thursday (July 28) tweeted that the government officials along with the officials at Jakarta embassy are doing all the efforts to save Mr. Singh.

External Affairs ministry official spokesperson, in his weekly media briefing on Thursday had said, “Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Gurdip Singh was of the view that he can file for presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of the Republic of Indonesia.”

“The embassy sent a note verbale to the ministry of foreign affairs of Indonesia requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out,” he added.

Gurdip Singh, 48, was found guilty in trying to smuggle 300 grams of heroin, along with 9 other convicts in 2005. All of them were scheduled to be executed. According to the details, Mr. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004 at the Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta on charges of drug trafficking. In February 2005, he was sentenced to capital punishment by the Tangerang court despite his prosecutor’s demand of 20 years imprisonment.

By Prajakt K.