Judge Siraj Desai thanked his supporters on his arrival at Cape Town International Airport on Sunday following allegations of raping a South African woman in India.
Desai first met family and friends in the VIP lounge at the airport.
He then spoke to the media flanked by his wife, Faiza, Dumisa Ntsebeza of the Foundation for Human Rights and family friend Anwar Nagia, amid a strong police presence.
He thanked everybody, including his lawyer, for the support they had given him, saying his wife had been ”a pillar of strength”.
He then switched to Afrikaans and repeated his appreciation, adding: ”I want to thank all the friends who called me and offered their support. It is difficult to sit in a cell in a foreign land and the messages of support made the experience easier.”
While he spoke, Desai’s wife stood next to him and at one stage she took his hand. She appeared tense and Desai looked very tired.
Ntsebeza told the media: ”This is not the time for asking questions.”
Among the people at the airport to show support were Ebrahim Rasool, the leader of the African National Congress in the Western Cape and members of the Western Cape Judo Club, where Desai’s wife is the manageress.
The club manager, Godfrey Kleinsmith, said he and 25 judo students had come to offer their support.
Desai appeared in an Indian court on Friday and was granted bail of R1 500. Bela-Bela-based Aids activist Salome Isaacs had accused him of raping her in his hotel room in Mumbai last Sunday but later withdrew the accusation.
Desai denied any wrongdoing. – Sapa