Three Indians Face Death Penalty in Indonesia : What Happened?

Three Indians, from Tamil Nadu, faced death penalty in Indonesia for alleged involvement in smuggling 106 kg of crystal meth aboard Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Legend Aquarius.

They were detained in Indonesia since July 2024 on drug trafficking charges. The accused — Raju Muthukumaran (38), Selvadurai Dinakaran (34), and Govindhasamy Vimalkandhan (45), have experience in the shipping industry in Singapore. They were detained by the Indonesian authorities, following a tip-off on suspected drug trafficking, by intercepting their vessel in Karimun district.

On March 14, the case took a significant turn when the captain of the vessel failed to appear in court for an in-person testimony, despite being a crucial witness.

He made a brief appearance via Zoom, which prevented the defense from conducting a cross-examination.

The defense argued that the captain’s testimony was essential to prove their clients’ innocence.

Under the Indonesian law, the captain holds sole responsibility for all cargo on the vessel. This led the defense to contend that smuggling such a large quantity of drugs was not possible without the captain’s knowledge.

While the Indonesian prosecutors are demanding the death penalty, the defense team, led by Indian lawyer John Paul and the Indonesian firm Bambang Supriadi and Partners, argued that their clients are innocent and the charges are false.

The defense team contended that the absence of the captain’s testimony raises questions about the prosecution’s case.

The trial is still underway and the verdict is expected by April 15, 2025.