Send me back to jail, says British national after facing destitution

After being released from barrack no 6 of the Arthur Road jail a British national is facing destitution so severe that wants to go back to jail Stuart Quillian 46 released on bail seven months ago has moved the Dindoshi Sessions court for imprisonmentStuart has no home no food no job and no money and is forced to live on Mumbais streets His passport and Visa expired while he was in jail because of which he has no proof of his nationality and identityStuart Quillian with his four sisters and mother during her 60th birthday celebration in Douglas Pic courtesyBarabara ByronIn addition he is also deprived of treatment for depression and anxiety for which he used to be taken to Sir JJ Hospital regularlyOn Friday Stuart who hails from Douglas Isle of Man located 307 kilometers away from England was at courtroom no 15 pleading his lawyer Dhananjay Singh to convince the court to send him back to Arthur Road jail He was jailed in March 2017 in a case of alleged human trafficking Apart from Stuart 12 others mdash four Britons four Sri Lankans and four Indian nationals mdash were held by the Sahar police The trip was Stuarts first to India Two of the Britons held mdash Captain Fivehats and Julie Ann Warner mdash died while out on bail a few months ago increasing Stuarts lonelinessStuart Quillians leg was operated upon at JJ Hospital for an abscess PicAnurag AhireSingh who represented Stuart and Fivehats as the stateappointed free legal aid said Soon after their release from Arthur Road jail Fivehats and Stuart were living in Virar Later they moved to Goa where Fivehats died of health problems And Stuart returned to MumbaiIt is unfortunate that a foreign national is being denied of basic rights Moreover he has not been getting livelihood support As such it is better that he be imprisoned said senior advocate Dinesh Tiwari who is conducting the matter before the court He had helped Stuart and other foreigners get bail pro bono Tiwari also explained that an accused has the right to determine whether upon granting bail he wants to go back to jail or remain outsideAn earlier picture of Stuart from when he was in Douglas PicStuart QuillianBack home Stuart used to make a decent living as a dog trainer and fitness instructor Today I sleep under the open sky on Mumbais beaches I am compelled to use public toilets and bathrooms I dont get proper food Fresh charges would only increase my troubles The only document I have is a copy of my bail order Stuart told middayI was more secure inside the jail than I am outside he said Stuart has also run out of antidepressants which were being provided to him by JJ HospitalIndia is a great country and people in Mumbai have been very cordial to me But at times I do come across people who make fun of me and humiliate me he said Stuart has a mobile phone but no SIM card He relies on free WiFi hotspots to contact his mother and four sisters in the British Isles through an old phone number active on WhatsAppWhat led Stuart to jailWhile Stuart did not want to discuss his case he cautioned backpackers especially foreign tourists to not rely on cheap lodging According to him sharing identity documents with cheap hotels and airlines can lead to them being misused I did not suspect any foul play as I came to India from Thailand I made affordable travel plans in Thailand too Travel plans for India were made by Julie said StuartWhat his plea saysAccording to Tiwari Stuarts application read He has no identification proof and his passport is marked as article in evidence and kept in custody of the court His visa has also expired and thus police verification is not done which is a mandatory requirement for getting a place on rent He is in a very pitiable condition Tiwari also explained that an accused has the right to determine whether upon granting bail he wants to go back to jail or remain outsideI want my son backStuarts mother Barbara Byron a 64yearold widow told midday that she wants her son to come home at the earliest He is the eldest of my five children We manage to send him 30 to 40 pounds every week All of us miss him but we cannot afford to come to Mumbai she saidStuart had called his mother in 2017 and had told her about his flight back to London However after that his family never heard from him After rigorous follow up with authorities including the British High Commission the family was told about his imprisonment Since then we have been trying to reach out to Stuart requesting assistance from Britains Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office who helped Stuart financially till he was in prison One of my daughters used to communicate with them Byron saidDuring a conversation on Friday last week Stuart told his mother about his plans to go back to jail We never thought that it would be so difficult to go back to jail I will not be able to speak with him if he goes back inside but I will know he is safe Byron saidOnce he returns I will not let him travel anywhere He should be living with us here she addedDid you knowSources privy to the case said The Foreign Office and Commonwealth Office have a 51page handbook wherein it is clearly stated that families of Britons held abroad can get help to keep in touch with them However they cannot get the undertrial out of prison or detention nor can they arrange for special treatment for the undertrial If the undertrial is not treated according to internationallyaccepted standards the two offices can approach local authoritiesCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates