Indian FM pleased with acquittal of Iranian charity worker

“I am happy Ms.Narges Ashtari is acquitted by Court. My friend [Mohammad Javad] Zarif Foreign Minister and people of Iran should be happy and relieved,” the message reads.

Indian Rayagada Civil and Sessions Court acquitted Ashtari of charges against her.

On December 5, 2016, Kalbasi Ashtari, who runs an orphanage in India, 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.

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 Bengaluru to show their support for Kalbasi Ashtari.

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