Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 9: Police tonight converted the attempt to murder case registered against a dismissed Army soldier, Vinod Kumar of Garhwal, Uttarakhand into a murder case after Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who was injured in a murderous assault on him at Kot Bhalwal Jail on May 3 by Kumar, succumbed to his injuries at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) this morning.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered “sincere apology” to the family of Sanaullah Ranjay.
IGP Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar said a Jammu Police team headed by DySP Rouf Lone, which was camping in PGIMER Chandigarh, has got the post-mortem conducted on the body in the hospital. The PGI authorities had constituted a three members Board of Doctors for the post-mortem, which was conducted this afternoon.
The post-mortem report was expected either late tonight or tomorrow morning but the doctors have reportedly stated that Sanaullah died due to multiple organ failure. He remained on ventilator after he was airlifted to the PGI on May 3 evening in an air ambulance after preliminary treatment at the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.
Sanaullah, a resident of village Daluwali in Sialkote district of Pakistan, had been hit on his head by a brick and a shovel by Vinod Kumar during gardening in the morning after the former had passed taunting remarks against India on Sarabjit’s killing. Police said they have seized both brick and shovel from the jail.
Rouf Lone told the Excelsior on phone from PGIMER Chandigarh that Jammu Police took custody of the body and got the post-mortem conducted by the Board of Doctors. “We are expecting the post-mortem report shortly. We will take the report as the murder case has been registered in Jammu’s Gharota police station,” he said, adding that all legal formalities were completing before handing over the body to Pakistan officials this evening.
Twenty two Pakistani prisoners lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail out of a total of 64 Pakistanis, both convicts and under-trials in Jammu and Kashmir jails, held a protest and shouted slogans inside three barracks in which they had been accommodated after May 3 assault after they received the report of Sanaullah’s death at the PGI Chandigarh.
After the protests, the Pakistani prisoners didn’t take lunch and dinner in protest against the killing of Sanaullah and remained on fast. Authorities were busy in persuading the prisoners.
After assault on Sanaullah, which came just a day after Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, injured in a murderous assault at Kot Lakhpat Rai jail in Lahore, succumbed to his injuries in Jinnah Hospital at Lahore, the Prison authorities had kept 22 Pakistani prisoners in three barracks along with some local prisoners. The barracks were guarded by the jail security officials round the clock to avoid any untoward incident.
Director General Prisons, K Rajendera told the Excelsior that the Pakistani prisoners showed normal resentment after they received the report of Sanaullah’s death, who was serving life imprisonment in Kot Bhalwal jail in connection with two major terror incidents including two blasts in a matador and a bud at Satwari and Manda, Nagrota in 1994 in which 14 persons were killed and 43 others were injured. He was in Kot Bhalwal jail since 1999.
“Nothing went wrong. Everything was normal within few minutes. Situation is fully under control in Kot Bhalwal jail, where security has already been put on a very high alert,” Mr Rajendera said.
In his tweet, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: “although it’s a scant consolation, I’d like to offer a sincere apology to the family of Sanaullah and my sympathies for their loss.”
The State Government has ordered a high level inquiry into the incident, which is being conducted by Principal Secretary (Home) Suresh Kumar.
“While the inquiry will fix responsibility for any dereliction of duty, the fact that this happened at all is a matter of great regret,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
The Chief Minister had a word of appreciation and gratitude for the medical staff of Government Medical College, Jammu and PGIMER Chandigarh for their efforts to save the life of the Pakistani prisoner.
“I’d also like to add a word of thanks to the doctors and staff at GMC Jammu and PGI Chandigarh for their valiant efforts to save Sanaullah,” Omar said.
Mr Rajendera said the Pakistani prisoners had some resentment after they were staggered and kept in separate barracks. Twenty-two Pakistani prisoners have been separated and kept in three barracks along with local prisoners to maintain peace and ensure that no fresh problem is created inside the jail. A round-the-clock vigil is being maintained on the prisoners, both Pakistanis and locals.
The prisoners were kept inside the barracks today and were not allowed in the jail premises for normal work. For the next few days, the Pakistani and local prisoners would be brought out of the barracks during the day separately to ward off any trouble till the situation settled down.
The morning’s sloganeering and protests by the Pakistani prisoners didn’t warrant any cognizance as no illegal action was reported, sources said.
Mr Rajendera said the Principal Secretary (Home) is conducting an inquiry into the killing of Pakistani prisoner, pending inquiry the Jail Superintendent and six other jail staff members have been suspended, a criminal case has been registered at Gharota police station against the killer, Vinod Kumar and vigil has been tightened in all jails housing Pakistani prisoners in the State especially Central Jail of Kot Bhalwal where maximum 22 Pakistanis have been lodged. A total of 64 Pakistani prisoners were lodged in eight jails of the State.
Meanwhile, Gharota police stations teams headed by SHO Inspector Jatinder Samyal today visited Kot Bhalwal jail and informed the authorities that attempt to murder case against Vinod Kumar, who was earlier lodged in the same jail, has been converted into a murder case under Section 302 RPC as against previous case of attempt to murder under Section 307 RPC.
Gharota police station had taken Vinod Kumar on seven days police remand on May 4, a day after the murderous assault on Sanaullah, for investigations in the case. A brick and a shovel used by Vinod in the attack have already been seized by the police.
Sources said after completion of police remand of 15 days, if extended by the court after seven days, authorities would keep Vinod Kumar in another jail especially the one, where no Pakistani prisoners have been lodged as he could face threat to his life.
On May 3 Sanaullah Ranjay and Vinod Kumar, both of whom were friendly to each other were engaged in the gardening when Ranjay took a `beedi’ from Kumar. Ranjay reportedly passed taunting remarks against India on the killing of Sarabjit Singh in Lahore, Pakistan, which irked Kumar and he attacked the Pakistani prisoner with brick and shovel causing him deep injuries.
Both Ranjay and Kumar were facing life term in the jail. Kumar, an Army jawan had killed his colleague during his posting in Leh in 2006 and was awarded life term after court martial. He was in Kot Bhalwal jail since 2007.
Meanwhile, after getting a report of Sanaullah’s death, Kot Bhalwal jail authorities deputed Warden Tej Krishan to PGI Chandigarh along with 27 items of the Pakistani prisoner, which were handed over to his family members, Mohammad Shehzad (brother-in-law) and Mohammad Asif (nephew), when they took the body back home.
“An inventory of 27 items was prepared by the jail authorities, which were in possession of Sanaullah before the attack. All these items have been handed over to the family,” sources said.
The items included holy Quran, cash earned by Sanaullah for working in the jail, clothes, books, blanket, leather chappal, Khan cap, handkerchief, soap, towel, hail oil, T shirt and specks.
Sources said Ranjay was keen on kite flying, band pipe and landscaping. In fact, he was a member of pipe band party of the jail.
Known as ‘Nambardar’ in his barrack, Sanaullah loved to fly kites and every year he used to participate in kite flying competition organised by the jail authorities on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, they said.
“Sanaullah was known among his co-inmates for his art of kite flying besides his creativity of landscaping,” sources said.
They said that every morning, Sanaullah used to water plants and actively take part in the gardening.
“With his creative ideas, he used to maintain the jail premises with landscaping and gardening,” the sources added.
“Apart from this, he also used to participate in events like singing, drama and other co-curricular activities, which were organised by the jail authorities on special occasions,” the sources said.
PTI adds from Chandigarh: Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who was seriously injured after a scuffle with a fellow inmate in a Jammu jail last week, died here today and his body was flown back to Pakistan by a special PIA plane.
The body of Sanaullah was handed over to officials of the Pakistan Embassy after completion of the post-mortem by a Medical Board at the PGIMER hospital and various formalities by local authorities, including police.
A special PIA plane had arrived in Chandigarh from Pakistan to take the body back, an official spokesman told reporters here.
The media was not allowed inside the air terminal when the body was being taken into the aircraft.
The two relatives of Sanaullah–brother-in-law Mohammed Sehzaad and nephew Mohammed Asif–who arrived here on Tuesday from Sialkot also travelled in the special plane.
“Sanaullah was declared dead around 7 am today. He had multiple organ failure due to severe head injury. The team of doctors headed by Prof Y K Batra tried their best to revive him,” a Medical Bulletin issued by Post Graduate Institute of Education and Medical Research (PGIMER) said.
Pakistan has demanded that India should conduct “a fair and impartial inquiry” into the prisoner’s death.
“We will also demand from the Government of India to immediately release 47 prisoners of Pakistan who have already completed their sentences,” the Commission Press Attache said.
An official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs earlier said India will facilitate Pakistan’s request to repatriate the body of Sanaullah and will provide necessary assistance.
In view of the tragic events, including the killing of two Indians in Pakistani jails and the Sanaullah incident, India has proposed that the officials of the two countries meet and take forward the recommendations of a judicial committee on humane treatment of prisoners, he said.
A Pakistani response to the proposal is awaited, the spokesperson said.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel