Govt to bear legal expenses of 17 Indians facing death in UAE

NEW DELHI: The Government will bear the expenses for providing legal assistance to 17 Indians sentenced to death by a Sharjah court for killing a Pakistani national.

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told Lok Sabha that his Ministry has instructed the Indian Mission in Dubai to engage the services of a leading legal firm to defend the accused.

"The cost for engaging the legal firm would be borne by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs," Ravi said replying to a question.

He said the Court of First Instance in Sharjah last month awarded death sentence to the Indians for bootlegging and murder of a Pakistani national in January, 2009.

The Indian consulate in Dubai has entrusted law firm, Mohamed Salman Advocates and Legal Consultants, to fight the case in a higher court.