Death in custody: Inmate dies of natural causes at Haripur prison

Independent sources suggest Jamal died after being attacked with clubs

HARIPUR: A prisoner died at the hospital inside Central Prison Haripur Saturday evening.

Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune on Sunday prison authorities said Jamal, who hailed from Bajaur Agency and had been convicted for twenty years in a murder case, died of natural causes. However, independent sources said the inmate died when four officials attacked him with clubs.

A murky picture

Jamal was shifted to the jail in Haripur on December 14, 2003 from Swat and was under treatment at the psychiatry ward at the facility.

As per prison authorities, Jamal died of cardiac arrest. The doctor on duty recommended an autopsy should be conducted. However, Jamal’s family decided against it and asked the prison to hand over his body to them.

However, question marks hover over the manner and cause of Jamal’s death.

“On Saturday evening, four officials deployed to maintain order in the jail had exchanged harsh words with Jamal over unknown reasons,” an insider said. “They started beating him with clubs. He received a head injury and died after a few minutes. Those who beat him received minor injuries as the deceased had defended himself against his attackers.”

Khalid Abbas, the jail superintendent, was not available for comment while a hospital official only confirmed the convict’s death.

On December 8, 45-year-old Nouraj, another inmate under treatment at the psychiatry ward of the hospital at the prison facility, died. He was suffering from diarrhoea and was not shifted to District Headquarters Teaching Hospital Haripur even though a senior medical officer had recommended it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2016.