Dubai: An elderly prisoner serving a life sentence at Dubai Central Jail has appealed to the authorities for mercy citing physical and mental ailments.
Vinayak Pundalik Desai, a 76-year-old man from Mumbai, has been in jail since 1997 on drug charges. He was found guilty by Dubai Court of manufacturing sleeping tablets in Umm Al Quwain without a licence.
Desai's sisters, aged 80 and 82, live in India. In the last 13 years of his imprisonment, they have approached the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai several times with mercy applications in order to get their brother released on humanitarian grounds, but have gotten no response.
Desai, who is suffering from acute depression, describes himself as a helpless beggar.
"I'm like a helpless beggar and beggars are not choosers. I'm begging for my freedom," the old man said.
Gulf News met Desai at Dubai Central Jail and found him in a feeble and pitiable condition. He was so weak that he barely could walk and moved around the room with the help of a policeman.
Desai admits his crime, but pleads for mercy and forgiveness.
Appeal
"The authorities here are always generous and kind-hearted to everyone. I remember a pardon granted to prisoners by the Dubai authorities in 2006.
"The prisoners had been detained in drug-related cases and given life sentences or the death penalty. They had completed only three years of their jail terms, but were pardoned," he said.
Desai recalled another pardon granted to prisoners in Dubai in 2008 when inmates facing life sentences and the death penalty were pardoned and allowed to go to their home countries despite having completed only two years of their jail terms.
"I have no clue why my name was never included," a tearful Desai said.
Desai, has poor eyesight, cardiac problems, asthma, and diabetes, has seen more tragedy on the family front.
His wife passed away two years ago. His daughter also lost her husband leaving her to fend for herself and their two small children.
"I wish I could see my family and my grandchildren before I close my eyes," Desai said. Desai believes he has turned into a better person and has reformed himself during his years of imprisonment.
"I am asking the Indian authorities to consider my matter and help me be reunited with my family," he said.
Helping hand
He added that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs steps in each time an Indian celebrity is caught.
"Why are they not helping me … because I am not a celebrity or the son of a celebrity?" he said.
Desai pointed out that in the case of the arrest of any Indian national, the Indian Consulate in Dubai or the embassy comes into the picture.
"Even if an Indian labourer is arrested, the Dubai authorities first inform the consulate. However, in the case of high-profile VIPs, the embassy deals with the issue in a different way than it does with normal people like us," he said.
Celebrities: Fortunate
Indian celebrities caught on drug charges in Dubai, who were released immediately with the help of the Indian authorities.
- Prasad Bidappa, a fashion designer.
- Vijay Raaz, a Bollywood actor
- DJ Aqeel
- Harinder Singh, managing director of a leading event management company.
- Farhan Azmi, restaurant owner and son of Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi.
- Bobby Chhabria, son of car designer Dilip Chhabria.
