Sunil James and his wife Aditi with Vivaan (File photo)
The family of jailed Mumbai sailor Sunil James will have to wait till Monday to know if he will be allowed return to India from Togo in Western Africa to perform the last rites of his 11-month-old son.
Officials from an Indian mission in Africa met him in prison today and pursued the request for his release in a court in Togo. But the judge reportedly told his lawyers that he will take up the application, sixth since his arrest, on Monday. Indian officials are also likely to be present in court during the hearing, Mr James' brother-in-law Rakesh Madappa told NDTV.
Mr James' family has been fighting for his release since July when he was arrested on charges of aiding the pirates who had attacked and looted his ship, MT Ocean Centurion, near Togo on July 16. His 11-month-old son, Vivaan, died on Monday of septicaemia. His body has been kept in a hospital morgue.
Yesterday, Minister of State for shipping Milind Deora assured the family that efforts were on to secure his release and legal options were being worked out with the Togo government. "The ministry will request Captain James' company to give a commercial undertaking to the Togo government," he told NDTV.
But Mr James' family alleges that the government acted too late. "Does it take the death of an 11-month-old baby for the government to act?" Mr James' brother-in-law Rakesh Madappa asked.
The family got a letter from India's Ghana mission on Thursday, which assured them of all help to bring Mr James back. His wife, Aditi, 31, had been trying to contact the Ghana mission for months, since India has none in Togo.
"My family got zero help from the government. Fed up I took a long leave and went to Togo myself in September and stayed there for 25 days even hiring my own lawyer," Mr Madappa said. He also added that Mr James was tortured by the pirates and has lost 15 kgs in the custody of the Togo police.