Medical exam: Inmate has bruises on back, stitching wounds on lips

Report will be presented in court on Monday.


Our Correspondent July 01, 2012

MULTAN:


The medical examination of a murder suspect on Saturday documented bruises on back and wounds on his lips, suggesting that they were stitched and unstitched.


Dr Jameel Ghauri, who headed the board that examined Muhammad Amir at Khanewal district headquarters (DHQ) hospital, said the injuries were not as serious as the prisoner had stated in his petition to the court.  He said a detailed report would be submitted to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mian Abdul Ghaffar on Monday.

In his petition, Amir, a prisoner at Multan Central Jail, had alleged that he was suspended upside down and beaten up by jail officials. He said his lips were sewn together, his back cut with a blade and his head and eyebrows shaved during solitary confinement.

The prisoner said he was beaten up and tortured on asking for medical treatment. “I asked the jail superintendent to provide me some medicine for fever and diarrhoea and to shift me to the jail hospital,” he told the court.

He alleged that the superintendent had received Rs10,000 bribe from him for moving him to the hospital but later refused to do so.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Superintendent Saeed Gondal denied having taken a bribe or torturing the prisoner. He said Amir was a hardened criminal. He said the solitary confinement was on account of his picking up fights with other inmates.

The superintendent claimed that the prisoner’s injuries were self-inflicted.

“He obtained a blade through one of his relatives and cut himself before the court hearing on Saturday,” he said.

He said Amir was being tried for robbery and murder.

He said District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Islam had visited the jail on Saturday and expressed satisfaction with the treatment of the prisoners.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2012.

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