Guess How Much Harish Salve Is Charging To Fight India's Case In UN Court

New Delhi: Union Minister Sushma Swaraj today revealed how much senior advocate Harish Salve is charging to argue the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. The former Solicitor General of India today spoke for nearly one-and-half hours to present India's appeal against the death sentence to Mr Jadhav, whom Pakistan has accused of spying.  

Today, in a tweet, Ms Swaraj said 61-year-old Mr Salve, an authority on constitutional law who has often represented India in international forums, is charging only Re 1.

Ms Swaraj's tweet was a response to a tweet from another user, which read:

Any good India lawyer would have done the same and with much less expenses than #HarishSalve. Wait for the verdict!https://t.co/Gfw3sBufrL

#Intolerant भारतीय (@goyalsanjeev) May 15, 2017

The minister’s reply read:

Not fair. #HarishSalve has charged us Rs.1/- as his fee for this case. https://t.co/Eyl3vQScrs

Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 15, 2017

India had approached the International court last week to challenge Mr Jadhav's death sentence. The move, a first in 45 years, was necessary to save the life of an Indian citizen, India has said.

There is an "immediate threat" that Mr Jadhav will be executed even before the International Court reaches a decision, India said. "The situation is grave, it is urgent, and hence we approached this court at such short notice," Mr Salve told the court.

India has said Pakistan has denied consular access to Mr Jadhav - who was abducted from Iran while running a business there - 16 times. His trial in Pakistan, Mr Salve said, was "farcical" and without a shred of evidence. "The basic rights of Jadhav were thrown to the winds," Mr Salve said, adding that he was given a lawyer only as the trial was about to end.

Arguing that Mr Jadhav was arrested from the restive Baluchistan province, where he was sent to carry out subversive activities, Pakistan accused India of using the world court as a "political theatre".