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Lahore/New Delhi: Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh was admitted to the ICU of
Lahore's Jinnah Hospital following a murderous attack on him by
fellow prisoners in the city's Kot Lakhpat jail Friday afternoon,
his family in Indian Punjab said.
Sarabjit Singh, who reportedly had critical head injuries
initially, was later described as stable by hospital doctors. He
was attacked by 4-5 prisoners with bricks and plates.
The reason behind the assault was not immediately known.
But back home in Tarn Taran district of Indian Punjab, his sister
Dalbir Kaur alleged the attack was "pre-meditated and deliberate".
A sobbing Dalbir Kaur said: "Some prisoners had been threatening
him. It was a conspiracy and he was deliberately attacked. Why was
he not protectede ... I want to go to Pakistan immediately."
"If our government had taken steps, this attack would not have
taken place. I had met the home minister (Sushilkumar Shinde),
(minister of state for external affairs) Preneet Kaur and all
others with letters mentioning that Sarabjit Singh could be
attacked. No one did anything and the attack has taken place,"
said Dalbir, who lives in Bhikhiwind town of Tarn Taran, 50 km
from Amritsar.
Pakistan human rights activist Ansar Burney, who has been pleading
for clemency to Sarabjit Singh, too said the attack looked
"suspicious".
"The attack looks suspicious. Someone could be behind this. No
bricks or other material can reach the place where Sarabjit has
been kept. This must be thoroughly investigated," Burney told news
channels from Karachi.
The Indian high commission in Islamabad urged the Pakistan
government to provide all necessary medical and other help to him,
said official sources in New Delhi.
According to the sources, the Indian High Commission contacted the
Pakistani ministry of foreign affairs for ascertaining facts and
was awaiting a response.
Two officials were being sent to Lahore for consular access, said
sources in the external affairs ministry.
Sarabjit Singh has been on a death row in Pakistan since 1990
after being convicted by Pakistani courts for bomb blasts in
Lahore and Multan cities which left 14 people dead.
Sarabjit's family claims that he had inadvertently crossed into
Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state and was arrested
there.
But police in Pakistan claimed Sarabjit Singh, who is known as
Manjit Singh in the country, was involved in acts of terrorism.
A resident of Bhikhiwind township, along the India-Pakistan
border, he had been languishing in Pakistani jails since then.
Dalbir Kaur had said in Kolkata last month that the UPA government
had not been very sensitive about resolving the mistaken identity
issue involving her brother.
Friday's attack on Sarabjeet comes soon after the Chamel Singh
case in the same jail.
Chamel Singh, said to be in his 60s, was serving a five-year term
for espionage and died at Jinnah Hospital Jan 15. During an
autopsy done on March 13 - nearly two months after his death -
marks of injury had reportedly been found on the body.
His family alleged he was killed in the prison but no probe was
carried out by Pakistani authorities. His body was returned last
month.
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