PUCL letter to CM Rajasthan Jaipur,
5th September, 2011

Sh. Ashok Gehlot,
Chief Minister,
Government of Rajasthan,
Jaipur - 302001

Subject: Handing over the mercy petition of Dr Khalil Chishty to the Governor Sh. Shivraj Patil and the immediate release of Dr Chishty.

Sir,
As you are aware seventy eight year old Pakistani virologist Dr. Khalil Chishty is in Ajmer Jail serving a life sentence. His mercy petition was moved by you to the Governor in June which he sent back with queries. We are told that the second time round with all the queries answered the mercy petition has not been sent by you to the Governor.

We know that you had taken a lot of interest and on humanitarian grounds tried to move his application with speed earlier in June. But now the whole process has been halted and we are worried about Dr Chishty's physical and emotional health. It is better that we send him back home alive rather than dead.

You have always worked for justice for the weak and the vulnerable. This too is a case of a man who has been wrongly accused and away from his family for the last twenty years, facing a trial for nineteen years. He never saw his children grow up and now he may not see them at all if the matter continues like this. His wife too is ailing and now with a hearing impairment. We can only wish that the two spend the rest of their days together. For that to be possible you need to take the initiative.

It is our humble request to re-send the mercy petition urgently back to Governor so that he signs it in accordance with your advice so that Dr Chishty can go home.

Yours Sincerely,


Kavita Srivastava
(General Secretary)
76, Shanti Niketan Colony, Kisan Marg, Jaipur- 302015,
Phone number: 0141-2594131, 09351562965,
E-mail:pucl.rajasthan@gmail.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011