India has ruled out an early release of a Canadian businessman undergoing a three year sentence after he was found guilty of various criminal offences.
Indian High Commissioner for Canada R L Narayan said Montreal-based businessman Saul Itzhayek, who was sentenced to three years in jail in the Bihar's Motihari city in October 2007 for various criminal offences and visa violation, should follow due process of law.
Narayan told a delegation led by Montreal Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler and comprised of various religious leaders that Itzhayk should follow due process of law by challenging the verdict of the court.
He made it clear to the delegation that it was not merely a visa violation case, there was something more to it.
"In a country governed by rule of law, the government does not have much say in such matters," Narayan told the delegation which called on him on Monday demanding early release of the businessman.
"Here is a case where some local authorities acted inappropriately," Cotler, a former justice minister and attorney general, alleged.
"We are saying to the Indian government, 'we are a fellow democratic country. We've got good relations. Use whatever executive order you wish.What we want is his safe return.'"
Itzhayek was taken into custody when he attempted to cross into India from Nepal in May 2007 with an expired visa.
Border agents had seized the businessman's documents from a rental car, which they believed was stolen, and had promised him safe entry to get his belongings back.
