Burney appeals for release of Pakistani prisoner in India

Ansar Burney appeals to Indian president, prime minister for the release of Dr Khalil Chisti, former professor at KU.

NEW DELHI: Human rights activist Ansar Burney reached India on Thursday to appeal to Indian President Shri Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the early release of Pakistani national Professor Dr Mohammad Khalil Chisti.

Dr Chisti, an 80-year-old Pakistani virologist, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Ajmer after 19 years of trial. Burney said the Karachi University professor was arrested on charges of the murder of one man Idris. The murder allegedly took place during a group clash on the premises of the shrine of the sufi saint Khuwaja Moinuddin Chisti Ajmeri in Ajmer, Rajasthan on the March 14, 1992

What appeared to be an altercation among cousins at the Baitul Salim Manzil reportedly turned bloody and Idris died after he sustained serious wounds from a gunshot.

Burney said after a case was registered in the Ganj police station in Ajmer, Dr Chisti, was put on a prolonged trial along with three others — Yasir Chisti, Akil Chisti and Farooq Chisti — under Sections, 307, 302, 324, 323 of the Indian Penal Code and then sentenced to life imprisonment.

Later an appeal for suspension of sentence was moved by Dr Chisti in the Rajasthan High Court, and was rejected on the ground that he is a Pakistani national and “no leniency” could be shown in his case.   The suspension plea for the sentence of the other three accused was granted.

Dr Chisty is now in the jail hospital located in the premises of the Ajmer Central Jail.

“It is so tragic and I am afraid that Dr Chisti may not come out alive if he continues in the jail as at present he is of 80 years of age. He is unable to walk or stand so someone has to carry him to the bathroom. He also has fractured his left hip and is also showing symptoms of palsy and is a heart patient,” Burney added.

Burney appealed to Ms Patil and Mr Singh to consider the case on humanitarian grounds in the light of the goodwill generated between India and Pakistan over the release of Kashmir Singh and Gopal Das, Indian nationals who were facing death sentences in Pakistan.

Burney added that Dr Chisti can be released by the Governor of Rajasthan as the Indian Constitution gives Governors powers to grant pardon, reprieve, respite or remission of punishment, including life sentence to any person.

Dr Chisti can be released under the provisions of the Rajasthan Jail Manual, Part 5, Rule-3.