India will re-examine jailed Briton's case

The Indian foreign minister, Jaswant Singh, has said the case of a Briton serving a life sentence in a Calcutta jail will be reviewed.

Mr Singh told his British counterpart, Robin Cook, in London that he would ask the home ministry to re-examine the case.

The jailed man, Peter Bleach, was arrested nearly five years ago for illegally flying arms in to West Bengal, but said the mastemind behind the scheme was allowed to go free.

Jaswant Singh said that in his discussions with Mr Cook they had also covered defence matters, which would be developed further when the British defence minister Geoff Hoon visited Indian next month.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service