‘It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer’

 Even after being acquitted by Maldives criminal court, Rajesh Kakkanattu Bhaskaran, a resident of Kottayam and former lab technician at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Male, is being held under house arrest. A lone bread-winner of the 11-member family, Rajesh is now banking solely on the support of his former colleagues and friends in Maldives. 

Rajesh (Passport no. E 9298739), 33, was arrested on February 27, 2014, on charges of forging a blood test report. He had just signed a report prepared by a Maldivian subordinate, as he was the section in charge, but no action was taken against the subordinate. He was convicted under Section 88 of the penal code, according to which the person could be released in less than two years or with a fine of 1,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa.

On February, 16, 2015, the court dismissed his case due to lack of evidence against him. The court then moved the case to Prosecutor-General, who has the authority to acquit him or order for re-investigation. Since acquitted, he should be released and his passport should be returned as early as possible, as per the law of the land. However, there has not been any further action in the case yet.

Since held under house arrest, he is unable to go out and work and depending on the mercy of his friends for food. Many a times Rajesh was awarded as the best lab technician, considering his commitment, but those honours were never considered during trial.

We humbly request urgent intervention of Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Dunya Maumoon to ensure justice for Rajesh, who is trapped in Maldives for more than a year, on a crime no committed by him.