The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to inform within four weeks the measures taken to secure the release of a person from Kodagu, who has been in Lahore Central Prison in Pakistan from several years.
Justice A.S. Bopanna passed the interim order on a petition filed in 2016 by P.M. Kushalappa and his wife P.K. Meenakshi, residents of Kaikeri village in Gonikoppal of Kodagu district.
Missing son
The petitioners said that their son, Yashwanth, who was undergoing training as part of a diploma course in Mysuru went missing in November 2006 and a police complaint was lodged.
However, the police filed a report to the local court after a year stating that they could not find their son.
In 2014, the Mysuru police received a photo from the Union government indicating that a person, who identified himself as Ramesh, had completed his jail term after conviction under the Pakistan Foreigners Act.
As the photo resembled Yashwanth, the police showed it to the parents, who said that it is their son. Following this, the Mysuru police had written to the Union government to take further steps.
‘Action not taken’
The petitioner-couple complained that the Union government has not taken any action to bring their son back despite submitting representations to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs.
