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Kulbhushan Jadhav Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth16 April 1970

Age49 Years (as in 2019)

BirthplaceSangli, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionIndian Naval Officer (as claimed by India); RAW agent (as claimed by Pakistan)

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseChetankul Jadhav

FamilyParents: Sudhir Jadhav (father), Avanti Jadhav (mother); two children

Kulbhushan Jadhav Biography

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav is an Indian national whose case drew international attention after his 2016 arrest in Pakistan and a subsequent death sentence by

Early life and background

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav was born on 16 April 1970 in Sangli, Maharashtra. Raised in a family with ties to public service—his father, Sudhir Jadhav, served with the Mumbai Police—Jadhav grew up in the Sangli area and later had an address listed in Powai, Mumbai. He is married to Chetankul Jadhav, and the couple have two children.

Career

Records and public statements about Jadhav’s professional life differ between India and Pakistan. Indian sources describe him as an officer of the Indian Navy who was commissioned in the engineering branch and who joined training at the National Defence Academy in 1987. India has identified him as a commander in the Navy and has said his service began in 1987, with retirement expected around 2022 under that account.

Pakistani authorities, however, have accused Jadhav of working for India’s external intelligence agency under the alias Hussain Mubarak Patel. Pakistani reporting and official statements allege an association with intelligence activities beginning after 2001 and describe a range of activities attributed to him. Pakistan has also said he used a passport with a different name to travel to Iran in the early 2000s.

Arrest, trial and international proceedings

Pakistani authorities say Jadhav was apprehended on 3 March 2016 in the Mashkel area of Balochistan and charged with espionage, fomenting separatism and attempting to destabilize projects such as the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. Pakistan’s military court later sentenced him to death on 10 April 2017 after court proceedings that included a confession presented by Pakistani officials. Indian officials disputed the circumstances of his detention, asserted he had been kidnapped from Iran, and rejected the validity of the televised confession.

Following the sentence, India brought a case against Pakistan to the International Court of Justice, arguing Pakistan had breached the Vienna Convention by denying consular access. ICJ hearings began in May 2017. The court issued an order staying the execution on 18 May 2017 and, in a judgment delivered on 17 July 2019, directed Pakistan to review the death sentence and to provide consular access, while not ordering Jadhav’s release. Diplomatic exchanges and public statements from both countries followed the ICJ judgment.

Public profile

Jadhav’s case attracted sustained international attention and extensive media coverage in both India and Pakistan. Pakistan shared alleged evidence with foreign diplomats and placed materials before the United Nations. India maintained a consistent public position that Jadhav was a serving naval officer and demanded regular consular contact. In December 2017, Pakistan permitted Jadhav’s mother and wife to meet him in Islamabad; the visit itself became a matter of public discussion and criticism.

Latest updates

After the ICJ ruling in July 2019, both India and Pakistan framed elements of the decision as validating their positions. Pakistan was instructed to review the sentence and to grant consular access; India continued to press for full consular rights and for a review of the conviction. The case remains one of the more prominent and litigated diplomatic disputes between the two countries in recent years.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Kulbhushan Jadhav, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice

India approached the ICJ in May 2017 over consular access and alleged breaches of the Vienna Convention; the ICJ stayed the execution and issued a judgment in July 2019 directing Pakistan to review the sentence and provide consular access.

2017–2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Commissioned in the Indian Navy’s engineering branch (Indian account) after joining the National Defence Academy in 1987.
  2. Apprehended by Pakistani authorities in March 2016 and sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April 2017.
  3. Subject of an ICJ case in which the court stayed his execution and directed Pakistan to review the sentence and provide consular access (2017–2019).
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kulbhushan Jadhav born?

Kulbhushan Jadhav was born on 16 April 1970.

What is Kulbhushan Jadhav known for?

Kulbhushan Jadhav is known for indian Naval Officer (as claimed by India); RAW agent (as claimed by Pakistan).

What is Kulbhushan Jadhav’s marital status?

Kulbhushan Jadhav's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Kulbhushan Jadhav married to?

Kulbhushan Jadhav is publicly listed as married to Chetankul Jadhav.