AMRITSAR/NEW DELHI, May 2: The body of Sarabjit Singh, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a murderous attack by inmates in a Pakistani jail, was flown in here tonight amidst an outrage across the country even as he was virtually accorded a martyr’s status.
The body of 49-year-old Sarabjit was brought from Lahore by a special Air India aircraft and will be handed over to his family at village Bhikhiwind for a State funeral tomorrow.
It was a grim end to the battle waged by Sarabjit’s family to secure his release after he had spent over two decades in Pakistani jails as the plane landed at Rajasansi Airport where political leaders, including Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, were present to receive the body.
Doctors at the Jinnah hospital in Lahore where Sarabjit was admitted last Friday said he died at 1.30 am (IST) today following a cardiac arrest after being comatose for nearly a week.
Sarabjit, the second Indian prisoner to die in Pakistan’s notorious Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore this year, was brutally attacked on Friday last by six fellow inmates when he and other prisoners were brought out of their cells for a break.
Flags will fly half mast on all Government buildings and there will be no official ceremonial functions during this period, an official spokesman said.
Centre also announced exgratia payment of Rs 25 lakh for Sarabjit’s family from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh regretted that Pakistan had not heeded pleas for taking a humanitarian view on the Sarabjit case.
In a strong statement, Singh underlined that the criminals responsible for “the barbaric and murderous attack must be brought to justice”.
A day after she returned from Lahore after having a glimpse of Sarabjit, an emotional Dalbir Kaur, his sister, who has been fighting for his release, said successive Governments in the country have failed to bring back her brother who was a victim of mistaken identity.
Sarabjit was convicted of alleged involvement in bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990 and spent about 22 years in Pakistani prisons.
His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf.
The previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led Government put off Sarabjit’s execution for an indefinite period in 2008.
Angry protests broke out in Sarabjit native Bhikhiwind village with villagers lashing out at Pakistani authorities for the deadly attack on him.
Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, several villagers burnt Pakistani flags to register their protest.
During their protest demonstrations, the villagers charged Pakistan with murdering Sarabjit. They also hit out at Pakistani authorities for not shifting Sarabjit to some other country for “proper treatment.”
Meanwhile, a second autopsy was conducted tonight by a team of six doctors at the Government-run Amritsar Medical College to know the cause of his death. The first post mortem was carried out at the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.
In Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal demanded an independent probe by an international agency into the circumstances leading to Sarabjit’s death.
Badal also criticised the Centre’s approach towards the matter.
“Government of India too dithered and dilly-dallied in reacting to the attack on him (Sarabjit). Was enough done to save him? Steps by Government of India to secure his release earlier were weak and totally inadequate,” he said in a statement.
Not a single home lit the kitchen fire in Bhikhiwind commiserating with the family of Sarabjit Singh.
Condoling the death of Sarabjit, who was brutally attacked by inmates in a Lahore jail, people in his village did not prepare food and were instead involved in making arrangements for the last rites.
People from the nearby villages also poured into Sarabjit’s house after hearing the news of his death.
Punjab Government today announced a financial assistance of Rs one crore for the family of Sarabjit Singh, who died in Pakistan following a murderous assault in a jail there, and declared a three-day state mourning.
Flags will fly half mast on all Government buildings and there will be no official ceremonial functions during this period, an official spokesman said here.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal aannounced a financial assistance of Rs one crore to Sarabjit’s family.
The Government has already announced that the two daughters of Sarabjit – Swapanadeep Kaur and Poonam – will be given Government jobs in Punjab.
Badal assured the family members of Sarabjit Singh that Punjab Government would extend all help and support to them.
India erupted in anger today over the death of Sarabjit Singh.
As an outraged Government and political parties across the spectrum targeted Pakistan and showed solidarity with 49-year-old Sarabjit’s family, questions were also raised on future of Indo-Pak ties.
A shattered Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit, urged political parties to unite for a strong collective response to Pakistan. Kaur wanted her brother to be declared a martyr.
Asserting that Sarabjit’s death was a killing of an Indian citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities, the External Affairs Ministry demanded that Pakistan conduct a thorough probe into the incident to ensure that those who are responsible were punished.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid when asked whether ties between India and Pakistan will be normal in the backdrop of Sarabjit death said, “I think it is a big question that in coming days we will have to examine and see how do we work.”
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the distraught family of Sarabjit at the residence of Raj Kumar Verka, Vice Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Rahul hugged Dalbir while offering his condolences.
While there was unanimity in holding Pakistan responsible for Sarabjit’s death, the Indian Government also came under attack from BJP, Trinamool Congress and Akali Dal for its “indifference” in handling of the Sarabjit episode.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said “the Delhi Government” left the matter of mobilising public opinion to Sarabjit’s family themselves to handle it.
“When his sister was crying for her brother, Government did not show its strength. It is a weak Government,” he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the death of Indian death row prisoner to “bad handling” of the case.
Protests were also held in several parts of the country with villagers at Sarabjit’s native Bhikhiwind village in Punjab slamming Pakistani authorities for the deadly attack on him. Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, several villagers burnt Pakistani flags to register their protest.
With BJP targeting the Indian Government, Union Minister Manish Tewary hit back at the opposition party saying it was seeking to politicise even something as tragic as the brutal death of an Indian citizen who has been brutally murdered.
“I would like to respectfully ask the BJP what they did when they were in power. They are shedding crocodile tears now, but did not even lift a single little finger to even provide consular access to Sarabjit,” he said. Sarabjit was in Pakistani prison for 22 years.
“I am sorry to use such language, but it really violates me as an Indian citizen to see how they are playing politics with the death of a political prisoner”, Tewari added.
In the aftermath of the death of Sarabjit Singh, India is seriously concerned about the safety of other 270 odd nationals lodged in Pakistani prisons and wants that country to ensure adequate safety for them as per international norms.
Sarabjit’s case was the second in recent months after another prisoner Chamel Singh met the same fate and India hopes “it is the last case”.
However, India is at the moment not inclined to raise the issue at any international fora and wants to deal with it bilaterally.
“It is a norm worldwide that security of prisoners is the responsibility of the state authorities,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters here in the wake of death of Sarabjit who had suffered serious injuries in an assault in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore last week.
According to the figures of January this year, there are 215 fishermen and 55 other Indians in Pakistani jails.
“We have raised the issue of safety and security of Indian prisoners,” he said.
Prior to Sarabjit, another Indian citizen Chamel Singh died in mysterious circumstances in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after allegedly being tortured.
Akbaruddin said India has been reiterating to Pakistan the need for dealing with Indian prisoners in a sympathetic and humane manner as it was convinced that he was not guilty of terrorism for which he was charged and convicted.
“If we were not convinced, we would not do it,” he said while replying to questions.
In the backdrop of the fatal attack on Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore jail, Punjab Government today tightened the security of Pakistani prisoners lodged in various jails of the State.
The State Government directed Superintendents of jails in the Central jails of Punjab to shift Pakistani prisoners in the side barracks and Indian prisoners would not be allowed to interact with them, jail department sources told here.
As many as 57 prisoners, including two women from Pakistan, are lodged in five jails of Punjab. Amritsar Jail has 38 prisoners, Ferozepur – 8, Ludhiana 2 (women), Kapurthala – 2, Patiala – 3 and Nabha – 4.
The jail authorities have been told that Pakistani prisoners would not be allowed to come out from their barrack till further orders. Normally they are allowed to move in jail compound from 10 am to 2 pm.
Jail officials have been instructed to check food given to these prisoners and supply them directly in their barracks, sources said.
Meanwhile, in a damage control excercise shortly after Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh died in a Lahore hospital, Pakistani authorities today slapped murder charges against two jail inmates for his brutal killing and ordered a judicial probe.
The decisions came after stinging criticism from India as also Sarabjit’s family on Pakistan’s refusal to hand over Sarabjit for better treatment and its inability to provide adequate security despite having being warned of threats to his life.
Sarabjit, the second Indian prisoner to die in Pakistan’s notorious Kot Lakhpat Jail here in Lahore this year, was brutally attacked on Friday by six fellow inmates as he and other prisoners were brought out of their cells for a break.
The Lahore Police added murder charges to the FIR registered against death row prisoners – Amer Aftab alias Amer Tambewala and Mudassar – who were booked for the attack on 49-year-old Sarabjit.
Officials at Kot Lakhpat police station confirmed that they had added Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Aftab and Mudassar after the death of Sarabjit.
Police investigators are yet to complete their probe into the attack. They recorded the statements of both accused but are yet to submit a ‘challan’ or chargesheet against them in court. They have also failed to trace the weapons used in the assault.
Najam Sethi, the caretaker Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, today assured Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal that those responsible for the murder of Sarabjit will be brought to justice.
The Indian envoy, who was on a scheduled visit to Lahore, met Sethi to discuss the issue of Sarabjit.
Sethi ordered a judicial enquiry and directed officials to ensure that the probe was completed in 15 days.
“Chief Minister Najam Sethi has directed the Home Department to prepare terms of reference for a judicial inquiry into the murder of Sarabjit Singh. The inquiry would be completed within 15 days,” a Punjab Government spokesman told.
The inquiry will be conducted by a High Court Judge, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. (PTI)
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