A PIRATE-hunter who was detained three months ago is being held in 'appalling ' conditions in an Indian jail.
Former Para Billy Irving, 33, sleeps on concrete floors in a cramped and stifling four-man cell, has to pay for clean drinking water, and has lost two stone in weight since his incarceration.
He and 34 colleagues, including five other Brits, have been held since their security ship was detained on illegal weapons charges as they protected merchant shipping from hijackers.
Today Mr Irving, of Connel, near Oban, will find out if he will be freed on bail from Puzhal jail in the Indian city of Chennai.
But an account of the drama, written by one of his crewmates, reveals how Mr Irving and his colleagues were tricked by Indian police, who told them they were being taken to hospital before locking them up in jail.
His father Jim has vowed to fly to India to try and secure his release.
He said: "When we first heard what had happened we treated it as a bit of a joke, dreading him coming back and having to listen to his stories. But slowly the nightmare has unfolded.
"The situation has been compounded further by Billy being hospitalised as a result of the conditions. He's lost two stone in weight."
On October 12 the US-owned MV Seaman Guard Ohio was intercepted in the Indian Ocean while heading for Egypt. A heavily armed Indian coastguard vessel escorted Mr Irving and his colleagues to the port of Tuticorin.
Mr Irving was on his first deployment for American firm AdvanFort as a Tactical Deployment Officer.
Their ship was detailed to protect merchant shipping from violent pirate gangs.
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