Behind bars: Inmate kills one and injures four others as they slept

Narewal was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder three months ago.

SUKKUR:

A prisoner identified as Dhani Bux Korai was killed and four others were injured after an argument with Mohammad Hashim Narewal, another prisoner, in Central Jail I on Friday.

Sources at the jail claim that on Thursday night, Narewal and the men argued and other prisoners had to intervene to cool them down. The next day, when everyone was asleep, Narewal attacked Korai, Jumman Nondho, Lal Bux Jagirani, Qalandar Bux Jagirani and Ali Mohammad Buriro with a gas cylinder. Korai died at the prison while the injured were taken to Civil Hospital, Sukkur.

After an initial medical check-up, Lal Bux Jagirani and Qalandar Bux Jagirani were taken to Civil Hospital, Larkana. The jail’s superintendent Qazi Nazir said that Narewal was serving a 25-year sentence for murder. He was brought to Sukkur from Shikarpur in 2010 as an under-trial prisoner and was sentenced three months ago. There were two cases still pending against Narewal.

According to Nazir, Narewal was from Shikarpur and had killed five people, including his son and daughter-in-law, while they were asleep. He said that Narewal was quite attached to Korai and the two men had their meals together the day before the attack. Narewal’s case history suggested that he never let his victims know what was going on in his head and befriended them before the attack.

“A case has been lodged against Narewal at Rohri police station and he is being kept in a separate cell because he might harm other prisoners,” said Nazir. “In central jail, prisoners above the age of 50 are kept in an old house and they do not need to work.” He added when they questioned Narewal about why he attacked the others, Narewal said that they had verbally abused him two months ago and he wanted to get back at them.

Sindh High Court’s Chief Justice Musheer Alam has ordered an inquiry and wants to see the report in two days. The registrar of the SHC was asked to inform the district and sessions judge in Sukkur that he would have to act as the inquiry officer and submit the report.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2012.