Indian prisoner Chamel Singh was not tortured: Punjab Prisons Dept

Superintendent Central Jail brushes aside “malicious propaganda” surrounding Singh's death.

LAHORE: The Punjab Prisons Department on Sunday brushed aside what they termed “malicious propaganda” surrounding the death of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh in Central Jail.

Senior Superintendent Central Jail Kot Lakhpat Mohsin Rafiq Ch told APP today that some Indian newspapers had published “concocted news” with “ulterior motives” claiming that convict Chamel Singh was tortured to death.

Rafiq maintained that Singh suffered a stroke while working in the compound of barrack number four, and was immediately rushed to the nearby Jinnah Hospital for medical treatment. Unfortunately he succumbed to a heart attack while on the way to the hospital, Rafiq said.

The superintendent also stated that a comprehensive postmortem report revealed "Singh died naturally and no mark of violence was found on the body".

Rafiq's comments were in contradiction to earlier reports of the initial autopsy, which revealed that Singh had been tortured.

According to the initial report, traces of four injuries were found on Singh’s body including a fracture in the right knee, a 1.5-2.0cm abrasion on the left knee joint, an abrasion over his upper lip and scars on his thigh.

The autopsy was conducted by a medical board from Mian Muhammad Munshi Hospital at Jinnah Hospital Lahore, about two months after Singh’s death.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a doctor who had earlier treated Singh at the Jinnah Hospital told The Express Tribune that the prisoner was brought to the hospital after he fell unconscious. Singh, however, was dead on arrival, the doctor maintained, adding that his body bore signs of torture.

Additionally, an inmate who was released from the same prison, was allegedly witness to Singh being beaten to death by prison staff for washing clothes in the prison courtyard.

Awais Sheikh, counsel for Indian prisoners in Pakistan, said he holds both the Punjab home department and the Interior ministry responsible for Singh’s death, alongside jail officials.