No pardon for UK arms dealer

Peter Bleach is in jail in India

The Indian president has rejected a plea for the pardon of a British arms dealer who is serving a life sentence in a Calcutta prison.

Peter Bleach, was arrested in 1995 with five Russian air crew after being caught with a consignment of arms.

The group were eventually found guilty of charges involving parachuting crates of assault rifles, anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers and ammunition near the eastern Indian village of Purulia.

The Russian air crew received a presidential pardon in 2000 after Moscow pleaded that there was little evidence against them and the sentences were too harsh.

The UK Government had made a request for the release of Bleach on similar grounds.

But on Thursday, the office of President Abdul Kalam announced that he had rejected the plea - the second time that Bleach has lost an appeal to the president.

A spokesman for the British High Commission told the BBC that it was a decision for the Indian courts and authorities.

"We still believe that there are grounds for Mr Bleach's release," the spokesman, Jeff Wilson, said.

Under the Indian constitution, the Indian president has the power to pardon convicts and reduce prison sentences.

British efforts

The British Government has repeatedly asked Delhi to release Peter Bleach, who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair raised the issue during the visit of Indian Deputy Premier LK Advani to London in June.

Although Peter Bleach and the Russian air crew were arrested on charges of dropping arms, the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy, Danish national Niels Christien Nielson, has never been brought to justice.

Indian police say they have evidence that the Dane, alias Kim Davy, is in Denmark but complain they have received no co-operation from Copenhagen on extraditing him to stand trial in India.