Bleach waiting for jail release

Peter Bleach: Jailed for life in January 2000

North Yorkshire arms dealer Peter Bleach is expected to be released from an Indian jail on Tuesday.

During a visit from Home Secretary David Blunkett, the Indian Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani, revealed that Bleach would be freed.

The 52-year-old Yorkshire man was arrested with five Latvian air crew caught on an illegal arms drop in 1995 and jailed for life in Calcutta.

Bleach's immediate release was held up by procedural matters in the courts.

Release document

The aircraft used by Bleach and the Latvians was forced to land in Bombay (Mumbai) and a customs case is still outstanding in that area.

The West Bengal Home Secretary, Amit Kiran Deb, said on Saturday that while they had received the president's release order, there had been a procedural delay.

The release document says all cases against Bleach, and those filed by him against the Indian authorities, must be cleared up before he is allowed to leave the country.

Most of the cases in Calcutta have been sorted out, but one filed against him in Bombay still had to be addressed.

Officials in India say that as the courts were closed on Sunday and Monday for the Muslim festival of Eid any release would not come before Tuesday.

Long-standing demand

"We have cleared the release of Peter Bleach," Mr Advani had said, after meeting Mr Blunkett.

"There had been a long-standing demand that Peter Bleach be released."

The UK Government had requested a pardon for Bleach last year but it was rejected.

Mr Bleach's mother said she "hoped and prayed" her son's release would "come to fruition".

Speaking from her home in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, she had said: "I am very thrilled.

"That was my biggest wish for this year - that my son would be coming back. He has never lost his spirit that he is fighting for his freedom and for his justice as well."