Mohammad Niaz, a native of Tamil Nadu, was arrested in Paris in May, accused of being a member of Al Qaeda.
Helpless family members don't know whom to approach or what to do to get him released. A Ganesh Nadar reports from Madurai.
Mohammad Niaz was arrested at an airport in Paris in May. Niaz, who was flying back from Algiers, Algeria, was picked up by the French authorities, who alleged that he worked for Al Qaeda.
Seven months after his arrest, the French authorities have not produced any proof of Niaz's alleged Al Qaeda links.
"They have brought him to court only twice," Habiulnissa, Niaz's wife, who is based in Paris, said.
"The first time the judge did not ask him anything; the second time Niaz was asked about his knowledge of Islam," she added.
Habiulnissa has hired a lawyer in Paris who hopes the Tamil Nadu native will be released in a year.
Fathima, Niaz's mother, is confused and dejected. Her only son is imprisoned in a country far away and she doesn't know why. She does not know what she can do to help him either.
"He was a good student," she told Rediff.com "When he was in school in Madurai and later in college in Tiruchi, there was never any complaint against him."
Niaz, Fathima said, graduated in mechanical engineering. After some local training, he travelled to Dubai and worked there for three years.
"He then moved to Qatar where his father Abdul Rasheed works. He moved to France when he got a job there. Niaz fell in love with a girl and married her," Fathima said.
Niaz's mother said the family did not approve of his marriage to Habiulnissa, who was born in France; her father hails from Pondicherry.
"We thought we would not be able to bond with her because she only spoke French and English," Fathima said.
The family stopped speaking to Niaz for a while after his wedding, but that freeze did not last long.
"Niaz brought her home for the first time in January. Everyone spoke to her and she was welcomed into the family. Niaz was here for a fortnight before he went back to France," adds Fathima.
Niaz was promoted to project manager at the company he worked for in France and assigned to a project in Algiers. He was not too happy with this and so put in his papers. His company asked him to finish the project before he left, which is why Niaz travelled to Algiers, his mother said.
"Niaz returned to France after completing his project, but was arrested at the airport. The company he worked for did not step in as he had resigned," Fathima said.
Niaz's father Abdul Rasheed, who has been working in the Middle East for two decades, spoke to Rediff.com from Qatar.
"My son's only fault is that he was preaching Islam on the train to work every day. This irritated the government. As it is, they don't like Muslims in that country. Wearing a hijab is a crime in that country, they don't understand that it is a part of our religion and they should not interfere in our customs," he said.
Rasheed firmly believes the French government has no proof against his son.
"He used to read a lot about Islam and he liked to discuss it with friends and colleagues. He liked to preach Islam and wanted to spread it. This is what got him into trouble. Why do you think the judge asked him about his knowledge of Islam?" Rasheed asked.
Niaz's father has not appealed to India's ministry of external affairs for help to get his son released from a French prison.
"How can I approach them? They are the cause of all the adverse publicity my family has been getting. They blew the case out of proportion by announcing that Niaz was part of Al Qaeda and was part of the Students Islamic Movement of India when he was in India."
"This is rubbish," Rasheed said. "Niaz was not part of any group in India. I am hoping that the lawyer in France will get him released. There is nothing I can do."
Meanwhile, Fathima, Niaz's mother, cannot travel to France as her passport has expired. She applied for a new passport, but problems have cropped up. Passport office staff say though there is no adverse complaint against her, Niaz's arrest in France has caused the delay.
As Mohammad Niaz awaits justice in a French prison, while his parents fret about his fate, the Indian government does not appear to have found out why an Indian citizen has been arrested in France or if there is proof of his alleged Al Qaeda links against him.
