Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indian counterpart on the seven Indians in the Orissa region who have been in prison on murder charges for 10 years awaiting an appeal hearing.
Our close relationship with the Government of India means we discuss a wide range of matters, including religious tolerance and minority rights. However, we are unable to intervene in Indian legal proceedings. An appeal hearing remains at the prerogative of the Indian authorities.