Efforts on to release sailor in Togo prison

, Dec 7: Indian officials promised to make efforts for the release of jailed Indian merchant navy captain Sunil James and two sailors in the West African nation of Togo on Friday. A consular officer is reported to have met the

in the jail. James has been under arrest in Togo since July 31 on suspicion of aiding pirates who had attacked and looted his Marshall Islands-flagged MT Ocean Centurion ship on July 16.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on Friday, "India is pursuing the matter very seriously (for the release) and will try its utmost to see that the family is reunited in its difficult times". Sunil's 11-month son had died earlier this week in Mumbai.

Sunil's son, Vivaan died on December 2 after developing gangrene in his intestine while undergoing treatment at Andheri's Holy Spirit Hospital.

His body has been kept in the hospital morgue's cold storage.

"We have tried to bring in notice of the current situation to the public prosecutor and sought his assistance to try and work out a solution, which will be helpful in the current circumstances" Akbaruddin added.

"Together with the honorary counsel, we are hopeful that we will be able to help the family. We are fully conscious about the sensitivity of this case," he said.

Earlier in September, Sunil's wife, Aditi, had said that her husband had been living on bread for the past one month and that he had fever and an infection in one eye, and the cell had no proper medical aide visiting.

She said that she has been pursuing the case with the governments of India and Ghana. She has added that his condition was deteriorating and nothing was being done about it, reported Business Standard.

Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid has said the matter would be addressed as urgently as possible.

Oneindia News