Kulbhushan Jadhav's Friends Throng His Locked House, Say Govt Must Step in

Mumbai: A pall of gloom descended on a quiet suburban housing complex where former naval commander Kulbhushan Jadhav — sentenced to death by Pakistan — lived with his parents and other family members.

"The family has moved to Pune and no one lives here. The flat is empty and is generally locked," a neighbour said.

Shortly after the media flashed the news, several friends and close acquaintances living in Silver Oak building in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, converged at the compound carrying handmade placards.

As a precaution, the police deployed around half a dozen constables outside the premises, while some policemen visited the family living on the fifth floor.

“(I've known him) Since he was in school, while he was in college and even when he graduated out of NDA… we used to keep in touch,” Tulsidas Pawar, Jadhav’s childhood friend, told CNN-News18. “When he was in the Navy, he used to tell us that he would opt for early retirement so he could get into business.”

Pawar said he was shocked to hear about the spying charges against Jadhav. “We were shocked to hear about his capture last year because they (the Pakistanis) thought he was an R&AW agent. His only aim was to be a businessman and we were shocked to hear someone call him a R&AW agent. We were sure that this was not true,” he said.

"In fact, after taking retirement from the Indian Navy, he was trying to establish his own business. The Indian government must make all efforts to secure his release," one neighbour said.

"We could approach him for any problems or issues concerning the society and he was ever ready to help out," he added.

Several others demanded that the government must secure his release as soon as possible.

The family hails from Sangli and Jadhav's father is Sudhir Jadhav, who retired as a Mumbai Police officer.

The Indian government has maintained that proceedings leading to the sentence against Jadhav are "farcical in the absence of any credible evidence" against him.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said Jadhav was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been "explained credibly".