Pak tries to deny Chambail’s jail murder; lawyer ups ante
29 Jan 2013 7:13 AM IST
A Pakistani lawyer on Monday reiterated his claim that an Indian national, who was serving a five-year jail term for spying, was beaten to death by prison staff while another advocate said he would approach the Lahore High Court to direct authorities for a probe into the matter.
Chambail Singh was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the state-run Jinnah Hospital on 15 January.
Tehseen Khan, a Christian lawyer who recently completed a 42-month sentence for fraud at Kot Lakhpat Jail, claimed Singh died after being beaten by prison staff. ‘On 15 January, I saw some three jail staff beating Chambail Singh over some issue. He was beaten severely and I think he died because of this,’ Khan said.
Prison officials have refuted Khan's claim and said Singh died of an apparent heart attack. Kot Lakhpat Jail's Additional Superintendent Ishtiaq Ahmed said that Singh was taken to hospital after he developed chest pains while having breakfast on 15 January. ‘We shifted him to Jinnah Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead,’ he said. In a related development, Awais Sheikh, the lawyer for Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, said he would file a petition in Lahore High Court to ascertain the cause of Chambail Singh's death.
‘I have named the Punjab government, the federal Interior Ministry and the Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail as respondents. I will ask the court to find out the measures put in place to protect other Indian prisoners, including Sarabjit Singh,’ Sheikh said.
A total of 33 Indian prisoners are currently being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Authorities have launched a judicial inquiry into the death of Chambail Singh. Judicial magistrate Afzal Abbas has already recorded the statements of 14 Indian prisoners who were in the same barrack as Singh.
Doctors at Jinnah Hospital are yet to conduct an autopsy on Singh's body, officials said. The magistrate is expected to finalise his report only after the autopsy is done. Singh hailed from Jammu and Kashmir and is believed to have been in his sixties, Indian officials said.
MINORITY COMMUNITY SEEKS LAND FOR CEMETERY IN RAWALPINDI
Hindus in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi have requested authorities to provide land for a cemetery as existing burial sites have been filled to capacity, according to a media report on Monday.
The low caste Hindus, who bury their dead, made the request to the City District Government of Rawalpindi.
Municipal officials said the Hindus had been provided two burial sites but leaders of the minority community said these sites have no more space and were not secure.
Upper caste Hindus said the low caste Hindus were welcome to cremate their dead at the Shamshan Ghat at Tipu Road though burials would not be allowed as space is limited, the Dawn reported.
Hindus leaders said the two burial sites have their own problems. Members of the community said they avoided burying their dead at a site near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport because a Pakistan Air Force base is located nearby. ‘The area is also surrounded by security departments and the Hindus avoid going there, fearing security checks,’ said an unnamed Hindu community member. The cremation ground has its own problems.
‘We have a Shamshan Ghat on Tipu Road but there is no place to bury the dead there. One of our community members had to bury his daughter in a Muslim graveyard but later had to exhume the body after a year,’ said Pandit Chana Lal.Hindus also said there is an issue with privacy at the Shamshan Ghat. allotted to the Hindus in the outer areas of Rawalpindi.
Chambail Singh was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the state-run Jinnah Hospital on 15 January.
Tehseen Khan, a Christian lawyer who recently completed a 42-month sentence for fraud at Kot Lakhpat Jail, claimed Singh died after being beaten by prison staff. ‘On 15 January, I saw some three jail staff beating Chambail Singh over some issue. He was beaten severely and I think he died because of this,’ Khan said.
Prison officials have refuted Khan's claim and said Singh died of an apparent heart attack. Kot Lakhpat Jail's Additional Superintendent Ishtiaq Ahmed said that Singh was taken to hospital after he developed chest pains while having breakfast on 15 January. ‘We shifted him to Jinnah Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead,’ he said. In a related development, Awais Sheikh, the lawyer for Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, said he would file a petition in Lahore High Court to ascertain the cause of Chambail Singh's death.
‘I have named the Punjab government, the federal Interior Ministry and the Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail as respondents. I will ask the court to find out the measures put in place to protect other Indian prisoners, including Sarabjit Singh,’ Sheikh said.
A total of 33 Indian prisoners are currently being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Authorities have launched a judicial inquiry into the death of Chambail Singh. Judicial magistrate Afzal Abbas has already recorded the statements of 14 Indian prisoners who were in the same barrack as Singh.
Doctors at Jinnah Hospital are yet to conduct an autopsy on Singh's body, officials said. The magistrate is expected to finalise his report only after the autopsy is done. Singh hailed from Jammu and Kashmir and is believed to have been in his sixties, Indian officials said.
MINORITY COMMUNITY SEEKS LAND FOR CEMETERY IN RAWALPINDI
Hindus in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi have requested authorities to provide land for a cemetery as existing burial sites have been filled to capacity, according to a media report on Monday.
The low caste Hindus, who bury their dead, made the request to the City District Government of Rawalpindi.
Municipal officials said the Hindus had been provided two burial sites but leaders of the minority community said these sites have no more space and were not secure.
Upper caste Hindus said the low caste Hindus were welcome to cremate their dead at the Shamshan Ghat at Tipu Road though burials would not be allowed as space is limited, the Dawn reported.
Hindus leaders said the two burial sites have their own problems. Members of the community said they avoided burying their dead at a site near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport because a Pakistan Air Force base is located nearby. ‘The area is also surrounded by security departments and the Hindus avoid going there, fearing security checks,’ said an unnamed Hindu community member. The cremation ground has its own problems.
‘We have a Shamshan Ghat on Tipu Road but there is no place to bury the dead there. One of our community members had to bury his daughter in a Muslim graveyard but later had to exhume the body after a year,’ said Pandit Chana Lal.Hindus also said there is an issue with privacy at the Shamshan Ghat. allotted to the Hindus in the outer areas of Rawalpindi.
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