Iranian-British charity worker acquitted in India

On December 5, 2016, Kalbasi Ashtari was sentenced to one year in prison and 300,000 rupees ($ 4,300) in fines on alleged charges of involuntary manslaughter, a crime, she said, she never committed.

Her story started in 2014 when a 5-year-old boy disappeared during a day-long picnic which was organized by Kalbasi. The boy was not part of Kalbasi children's home but his parents worked for the foundation.

Now 28, Narges soon became an orphan herself as she lost both Iranian parents to incurable diseases at the age of 10 and 15. The family, originally from Isfahan, lived in the United Kingdom.

Most probably, her experience as an orphan contributed greatly to the path she took later in 2011 when she launched her orphanage home in Rayagada in the Indian eastern state of Odisha.

Iran’s mission in New Delhi appointed Iranian Consul General Hassan Nourian to follow up her case and to support Narges Kalbasi Ashtari.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that during his visit to India, he raised the case with the Indian officials and promised that the foreign ministry will discharge its duty in line with the principle of diplomatic protection to Iranian expatriates.

A number of Iranian university students on Dec 28, 2016 held a gathering protest in Banglore to show their support for Kalbasi Ashtari.

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