M A I N   N E W S

17 Indians in UAE murder case walk free
Prabhjot Singh/TNS

The fortunate ones Sukhjinder Singh (Patti), Sukhjot Singh (Sanghera, Barnala); Ram Singh of Kanvi (Amritsar); Aarvinder Singh (Ghookalwada, Gurdaspur); Baljeet Singh (Sangwal, Jalandhar); Daljeet Singh (Aitiana, Ludhiana); Dharampal Singh (Jhoke Tehal Singh Wala, Ferozpore); Satgur Singh (Ghanaur Jattan, Sangrur); Satnam Singh (Roohli Kalan, Ludhiana); Kashmir Singh of (Rattu Ke, Tarn Taran); Suban Singh (Lohian Khass, Kapurthala); Kulvinder Singh (Bansi Pura, Ludhiana); Kuldeep Singh (Kukrana, Moga); Sukhjinder Singh (Nikki Miani, Bhagoo Purian Dee in Kapurthala); Namjyot Singh (Raikot, Ludhiana); Harjinder Singh (Phagwara); and Taranjit Singh (Kaithal, Haryana)

Chandigarh/Dubai, February 11
Families of all 17 Indian boys — 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana — heaved a sigh of relief today as their wards finally got the “deportation orders” from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) judiciary.

The infamous Mishri Khan murder case not only witnessed two long legal battles, but also two major settlements under the provision of Islamic law for blood money before these boys were finally cleared for the return journey home.

Besides a group of lawyers engaged by the Indian Consul-General in Dubai, a businessman of UAE — Surinderpal Singh Oberoi —worked religiously to secure their release in a case that not only witnessed huge payments to victims and their families, but also serious attempts to stall proceedings.

A violent clash, between two groups of expatriate workers in January 2009 that ended in the death of one Pakistani boy, Mishri Khan, while his cousins Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Iqbal were seriously injured, saw the Indian boys locked in a long-drawn legal battle.

In March 2010, a Sharjah Shariat court found them prima facie guilty of the murder of Mishri Khan and sentenced them to death. They were all also held guilty of bootlegging, violent clashes under the influence of liquor.

Their conviction generated a major public debate in India as leaders of various political parties, including the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), tried to gain political mileage out of a case.

January 2009: Mishri Khan of Pakistan killed and his cousins Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Iqbal injured in a clash between two groups of expatriate workers in Sharjah	March 2010: A Sharjah court found 17 Indian youths guilty of Mishri Khan’s murder and sentenced them to death	Sixteen of the convicted youths were from Punjab and one from Haryana
September 12, 2011: The court waived the death sentence of all convicts after they paid blood money	September 23, 2011: Just when the boys were about to leave for India, the injured filed a civil petition	February 11, 2013: After nearly four years in Sharjah jail, the 17 youths were shifted to the out jail

It was in this case that the Union Government stepped in and engaged a battery of lawyers to defend the Indian boys. The defence team filed an appeal against the Sharjah court conviction order.

Before the appeal court could pronounce its final order, it offered the defence team an opportunity to go for settlement with the family of Mishri Khan under “Diya”, a legal provision in Shariat law where the suspects or convicts can get reprieve from the capital punishment on payment of blood money to the aggrieved family.

Sensing that adjudication of appeal would be a long-drawn affair, Indian boys preferred to go for settlement with the family of Mishri Khan.

Dubai-based businessman SP Singh Oberoi, who followed the case from day one, finally paid up blood money of $1 million to the parents of the victim Mishri Khan. The court also endorsed the settlement deal and waived the death sentence on September 21, 2011.