Senior Russian Embassy officials on Tuesday met their Ministry of External Affairs counterparts here to understand why their nationals, accused of overstaying, were being treated harshly by the police.
In particular the Embassy has flagged the case of two Russians in Goa who have been sentenced to one year's imprisonment and fined Rs. 10,000 each for overstaying. There is also the case of Olga Timoshik who is in custody at a police station in Ropar, Punjab. In all Russia has submitted a list of 15 who, it feels, are being treated rather harshly when they had only overstayed and not committed any other crime.
“We feel that this bit is not in the general context of the time tested and a very special relationship with India,” said the Embassy's Senior Counsellor Sergei Karmalito. “In some cases [Goa] the punishment is too severe. In some [Ms. Timoshik's case] trial proceedings are being adjourned for reasons that are unknown and not explained to us. Some have been kept in custody for several months without any facility to get in touch with the Embassy.”
Mr. Karmalito was particularly critical of the police in some States which prevented the Russians in custody from contacting their Embassy. “We would like to get a clearer picture, particularly about the Goa cases. And the police must be more friendly towards the consulates in helping its citizens if they have just committed a mistake,” pointed out the official.
In Ms. Timoshik's case, her advocate has complained of “excessive pressure” during interrogation and felt the confinement conditions of the 31-year-old asthmatic Russian “arouse censure,” said the official. Her arrest was motivated by the fact that the police discovered her link to a Thomas Kuhn, allegedly a German, who was found wandering as a pilgrim and arrested near a major hydroelectric site on suspicion of “espionage.”
