Johnson urged to help free the '˜Chennai Six'

Conservative former Foreign Office Minister Sir Hugo Swire said it is time the ex-soldiers, referred to as the “Chennai Six”, were brought home and suggested the Foreign Secretary meets the chief minister in the state where they are being held to find a solution.

Labour MP Christian Matheson also appealed for help, telling Mr Johnson to “do a deal” and ensure he can have a pint with one of those affected, who he represents as City of Chester MP.

The men were arrested in October 2013 on illegal weapons charges, which were dropped in the following months, but an appeal followed from the Indian authorities and the men were later convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.

The case has been branded a miscarriage of justice while Prime Minister Theresa May raised their plight with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G20 summit.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Hugo told Mr Johnson: “Whilst I welcome the fact the Prime Minister raised the issue of the Chennai Six with Mr Modi at the G20, can I urge you to focus your efforts on the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and to seek a meeting with her urgently. It’s almost four years since our boys have been languishing in jail there, I visited them myself.”

Mr Johnson replied: “You are absolutely right. You suggest an interesting avenue for further work. I will certainly look at the possibility of talking to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

“Whether we will be any more successful with her in making our points, I will ascertain, but we will leave no stone unturned.”

Mr Matheson earlier told the Commons: “Another Foreign Office Questions and still my constituent Ray Tindall and the other men of the Chennai Six are incarcerated in India.

“Will the Minister pick up the phone to their opposite numbers in India, do a deal to get the men deported, so Ray and I can have a pint in Chester before the summer is out?”

Mr Johnson said he appreciated Mr Matheson’s persistence.