Rahul Gandhi promises help to Sarabjit's family

New Delhi: The family members of condemned prisoner Sarabjit Singh met various political leaders in New Delhi on Monday, including Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, to request their help in pleading his mercy case.

Sarabjit’s sister appeared hopeful after her meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

“I met Mr Gandhi to speak of my brother’s release. He gave me his word that he would speak to the Congress President about it. He even tried ringing her but she was on a flight and he could not speak to her,” Dalbir Kaur said.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) told me to speak to him this evening at 5 or 6 pm. He said he would talk to the Prime Minister, as well. He said they will try hard and work quickly (to secure Sarabjit’s release),” his sister said.

The Sarabjit Singh issue also echoed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday with Congress and BJP members pressing for a House resolution against his death sentence.

The BJP, led by Party Chief Rajnath Singh, was very vocal in demanding that PM Manmohan Singh intervene that Sarabjit’s life may be saved.

But Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said that Kashmir Singh’s statement that he had been a spy for India would weaken India's case for the release of Sarabjit. Kashmir had later denied having made that statement and had blamed media for distorting facts.

India is expected to take up Sarabjit Singh's case with Pakistan seeking a review of the decision to send him to the gallows on April 1. But sources in Pakistan say despite appeals from human rights groups, Sarabjit is unlikely to be pardoned.

Pakistan is miffed that India handed over the mutilated body of Pak national Khalid Mehmood, soon after Kashmir Singh's release on March 3. While India says Mehmood was a Pakistani spy, Pakistan maintains that he was a cricket fan who had lost his travel documents on a visit in 2005.

Sarabjit's lawyer Rana Abdul Hamid said on Sunday that there was "no legal option" left to save his client. He added that Sarabjit could be saved only if Musharraf granted him a pardon or if there was some "extraordinary understanding" between the Indian and Pakistani Governments.