Navy Officer-Turned-Spy or Businessman: Who is Kulbhushan Jadhav?

Ex-navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who Islamabad claims is an Indian spy, has been sentenced to death by Pakistan.

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who Islamabad claims is an Indian spy, was on Monday sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage and engaging in sabotage against Pakistan.

A former Indian Navy officer, he was allegedly arrested by Pakistani authorities in Balochistan in 2016 after he entered the country from Iran. But who exactly is Jadhav? And what really led to his sentencing?

Also Read: Jadhav’s Execution by Pak Will Be ‘Premeditated Murder’: India

Who Is Kulbhushan Jadhav?

• Jadhav enrolled in the Indian National Defence Academy in 1987 and later joined the Indian Navy
• After taking premature retirement from the Navy, he set up a business
• His family currently stays in Mumbai
• His father Sudhir Jadhav had retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Mumbai Police
• In 2016, Kulbhushan Jadhav was reportedly arrested by Pakistan at the Iran border near Balochistan

Key Events Leading to Jadhav's Sentencing

• After his arrest, Kulbhushan Jadhav was denied consular access by Pakistan
• In April 2016, the Pakistani government slapped terrorism and sabotage charges against him
• In March 2017, the Pakistan PM’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said that Islamabad won’t extradite Jadhav
• Jadhav was later tried in secret by the Pakistan Army for espionage and sabotage
• India was given no prior information about the proceedings
• Experts say that they fail to understand why Pakistan is in a hurry to hang him and why an open trial was not conducted

Also Read:
There WILL be Consequences: Indians React on Jadhav’s Sentencing
Sanity Will Prevail: Ex-RAW Chief Dulat on Jadhav Death Sentence
After Jadhav Death Sentence, India Halts Release of Pak Prisoners

(With inputs from IANS and PTI.)

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