Sarabjit Singh. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Indian prisoner on death row, Sarabjit Singh, was attacked and seriously injured by his fellow prisoners at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore on Friday.
Sarabjit was hospitalised with a serious head injury, a doctor said, after two fellow prisoners attacked him.
Latest reports indicate he is in coma and on a ventilator. Dr Zafar Iqbal, head of Neuro Surgery Department, Jinnah Hospital, was heading the panel of doctors treating Singh.
“Sarabjit was having tea with fellow prisoners Muhammad Muddasar and Amir, also condemned for death sentence in murder cases. They exchanged hot words with Sarabjit and attacked him with bricks and blades,” jail official Munawar Ali said.
Express News correspondent Noman Sheikh reported that the prisoners who attacked were identified and sent to separate barracks for interrogation.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told Press Trust of India (PTI) that the country has contacted Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan for consular access. “Two officers have been sent to Lahore for consular access and we are awaiting response. We are in touch with the Foreign Ministry and the Presidency,” he was quoted as saying.
The PTI report also quoted Sarabjit’s lawyer Owais Sheikh as saying that the incident will have “very very serious consequences”.
“Whatever has happened, our jail authorities are responsible for that. Hope God saves Sarabjit Singh. He has been seriously hurt,” he said.
Last year in September, Sarabjit wrote a letter to his sister and daughters saying that the authorities at Kot Lakhpat jail were slow-poisoning and mentally torturing him. Sarabjit had accused the jail officials of “conspiring to drive him insane” and ridiculing him when he asked them for painkillers.
According to the prosecution, Sarabjit had illegally crossed into Pakistan from Kasur on August 29, 1990.
He was arrested on charges of conducting four bomb blasts in Faisalabad, Multan and Lahore. He is named Manjeet Singh in the FIR. He was sentenced to death.
His counsel claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.
COMMENTS (76)
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This guy even if he is alive....is good as dead. He is a criminal but the government must have kept him without enforcing the punishment....is to negotiate a deal with India to get someone in return. Second aspect is that local criminals even with severe crimes are not punished.....crime prevails and the common people are made to focus or minor issues and not on the government who are the real criminals and looters.
Why are we so worked up, look back to the history these people kill & imprison their father, mother & brothers so what are we indians
@All Indian I have been repeatedly asked to look into myself first and to go around the world asking about my reputation. Please first you go and ask about yourself. If you feel you have a better repute then ask me to compare myself. I don't talk about the governments, go and ask people. U don't have a better image above slum dog millionaire.
@Adil3132: "I am surprised to see the sympathy for a terrorist here." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ and what do you think are the Taliban with who Pakistan is repeatedly exploring Reconciliation? How many be headings? eh?
@Asad: "First thing he was attacked by his inmates. Not by all Pakistanis or Pakistani government so please stop blaming us." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Pakistani Govt cannot escape blame for dereliction of duty in providing security to Sarabjit. Can it?
@Salahuddin: "God will do justice with you." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Indeed God did justice with India in all the Pakistan initiated wars against India and Kargil:) Thank you God.
@sensible: "you guys should wait for investigation to be done." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Investigations and Pakistan? like the Abbottabad commission? Indians know the moral fibre of its neighbor!
Considering the circumstances, that a terrorist who was already condemned to death penalty but was not being hanged due to weak leadership in Pakistan, these guys actually did him a favor by putting him out of his misery.
I am surprised to see the sympathy for a terrorist here. Pakistani authorities could not do anything to this terrorist in 20 years… Every spy who support terrorism must be hanged….
Lots of Pakistanis in Indian prisons, bad news for them
@Asad: Are the Pakistani prisons run by India that blame should not be at your footstep?
@Asad: Pakistan had accused Manjit Singh not Sarabjit Singh of the bomb blasts. Secondly there was. No trial in a court of law but a military trial where no one was willing to be questioned or made accountable for the mistaken identity. Finally yes the prisoners attacked him but the security guards allowed it. Just a month back another Indian prisoner was killed in Pakistani jail. While Pakistani civilians are not responsible for it, Pakistan government certainly is.
First thing he was attacked by his inmates. Not by all Pakistanis or Pakistani government so please stop blaming us. Now that he is in a critical situation we can pray for his health. But please do not forget what he did. He is a terrorist even on his death bed or even after his death. Indians should remember "He was arrested on charges of conducting four bomb blasts in Faisalabad, Multan and Lahore"
@Salahuddin: when you refer Indian you are talking about 1.3 billion indians which includes Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians, Parsies..list is long..we are Indians we do not hate religions we gave them and continue to give them their due respect. we indians do not follow one religion, one god or force people follow one god or one religion..WE ARE INDIANS FOREVER
Thanks for all Pakistani friends for their comments. He was attacked by some prisoners, it can be happen anywhere in the world, But comments supporting this disgusting behavior hurts a lot. We will remember it my friends.
Gulam Rasool"Kuldeep sharma" New Delhi
This is a human right issue. When human rights are trumpled everywhere at will in Pakistan, how do you expect a prisoner's rights to be protected.Shame on guys!
This is not the way of justice. If he was culprit, he should have been hanged by the court, but not by a fellow prisoner.
@Salahuddin: Times of India is the 'Fox News' of India. Sources of Credible sober news from India is 'The Hindu' (though it has a somewhat leftist bent).
@ash: "This was bound to happen….after the execution of afzal guru there was bound to be a growing feeling of revenge and hate"
Was Sarabjit Singh given due process of law lin Pakistan ike Afzal Guru was in India? Sarabjit Singh was an Indian citizen. Was Afzal a Pakistani citizen? Did anyone bludgeon Afzal Guru as Sarabjit was?@Next: "@Indian: Clear case of mistaken identity? You were there when all the evidences against him were presented? Or you crossed the border with him. How can you be so sure of the “clarity” in his mistaken identity?"
Your own newspapers have reported on this issue. The original FIR was against Manjit SIngh.Another thing the people who testified against him have now come out and said that they testified under pressure. As such there is no evidence against this man - who is Sarabjit Singh and who was called Manjit Singh.
@Next: "@Indian: He is not terrorist because he is an indian and also a non muslim?"
BEcause the only people (Pakistani by the way) who gave evidence against him in court now say that they were forced to give false evidence. BEcause his actual name and the name of the man against whom the FIR was lodged are different. It was a case of mistaken identit where no one wanted o own the mistake and an innocent man is paying the price for that.
India too does have terrorists but the police prosecute them and courts sentence them without caring whether they are Hindu or Muslim. So it is unclear why you introduced religion in the debate.
What happened with Sarabjeet was shameful and inhuman. As a Pakistani i am sad, annoyed and embarrassed. I don't have access to the evidences and any irrefutable evidences so I am not going to term him terrorist or reprieve him from the allegations on him. But this cold blooded murder is something i would never subscribe. If he was guilty and the Courts have given him Capital punishment, he should have been punished by the Law of the land, but once again the poor, disoriented and weak state miserably failed to perform its duty. If Ajmal Kasab was found guilty by Indian Courts, he met his destiny through the legal system- Indian authorities saved him fanatic, barbaric and criminal elements till justice is served. I am absolutely embarrassed once again by this ever weakening state.
Please do justice to this sikh man who is innocent. The sikh students are protesting. We want peace in our country!
@Salahuddin: Well, Khalil Chishty was released by India to go back to Pakistan in similar situation but the islamic beasts in Pakistan have been torturing and now murdered sarabjit singh who was under their protective custody
It would have been really good if partition was completed properly. Muslims really cannot live with any other community, they should have been full exchanges of population. Kashmir problem wouldn't have existed nor Indian politicians would have make secularism a mask for corruption.Innocent people like Sarabjit could have had a good life instead of this. RIP.
@Kamran: pain at the death of our countryman.
Lot of Indians die in Pakistani prisons. In Pakistani prisons Indians are treated as animals. This incidence made news because prisoner happens to be Sarabjit Singh who's case is known to International media. According to Pakistan government this guy is Manjit Singh.
Keeping all the conspiracy theories aside I would rather say that things always must be tackled legally. He was proved to be a terrorist and was about to be hanged but all in a sudden things turned around. We Pakistanis strongly condemn the attack on Sarabjit Singh (An Indian terrorist).
@Salahuddin: Don't bring God into this! first look at your own reputation.
Well Mr Sarabjit should be kept in the same high security prison farm house as Mr Musharraf is. That seems to be the only safe and secure place in Pakistan.
@Afzaal Khan: he's dead now. Disgusting comment! Remember we spent 50 crores on your countryman who carried out the Mumbai attacks for his security.
@Salahuddin: you made the judgement about indians .u must be satisfied now....
u people support azmal kasab ,afzal guru , hafeez sayeed, osama binladen and then u r talking abt humanity,
if u r confused then go and find the truth..
forget india ask frm any other country in the world ,they wil help u.
Poor guy.
Pakistan arrests a guy saying he is Manjit Singh. But, it turns out he is actually Sarabjit.
What should be naturally happen? When evidence is presented that the said person is not Manjit, but actually someone else, he should be let go. But, Pakistan functions differently than other nations.
In civilized nations, this would have happened instantly, but in Pakistan not only is he identified as Sarabjit Singh, but it also fails to explain how one person can be 2 different people.
@Indian: Clear case of mistaken identity? You were there when all the evidences against him were presented? Or you crossed the border with him. How can you be so sure of the "clarity" in his mistaken identity?
I wonder what would Miss Arundhati Roy say now.
I advice all indians to calm down and stop making conspricy theories, it is highly possible to be an act of individual, you guys should wait for investigation to be done.
@B: Only if RAW declassifies its files, that is. Otherwise, this spy shall go un-named.
afjal guru was arrested red handed in parliament attack case . He accepted his crime. no one can question his hanging except terrorists...
Sarabjits case is still not clear .there r reports abt his mistaken identity....
i know all this is happening bcz of afzal gurus hanging...
as an indian i m saying that pak can never be a friend with india ....and kashmir will remain our integral part..............
Bricks and blades. Why don't they also give death row prisoners machine guns while they are at it.
When Pakistanis don't believe in their own criminal justice system, wouldn't it be far-fetched to believe that Indian's have faith in it? . Not to mention the fact that Sarabjit Singh was tried by a military tribunal.
@Afzaal Khan: If he is a terrorist then why dont you guys give him same protocol as kasab got? Have you ever heard of a pakistani prisoner beaten to death in indian prisons. And we have tons of those.
Cant they have a prison for non muslims and blasphamy accused people?
This was bound to happen....after the execution of afzal guru there was bound to be a growing feeling of revenge and hate...and what better way to vent it out by bludgeoning the head of the man....atleast afzal guru was not attacked.
So how do we know the others were paid to do this? Maybe wiping away evidence?
@Next: no because he was framed and it is the clear case of mistaken identity.
The poison minded Indian trolls have also arrived here with all their filth. I stand by my words and will stand by it till the end. I am a regular visitor of your sites and have come to the conclusion what I have already mentioned. I haven't seen an iota of humanity in all of you. U are filled with scorn for Pakistan and Islam. God will do justice with you.
@Kamran: Did he kill any Pakistani citizen ? Then how do u claim him to be terrorist.
@Arun: there are many unforgettable stories like Mr Javed's, who went to visit the shrine of Haji Peer in March 2008 where the police allegedly misbehaved with him, his brother said. He resisted them and was arrested. later he was tortured and murdered by Indian police in Rajpur jail.
remember Dr .Chisti .. people as well as govt. s' have a very long memory :(
This is a planned attempt by the state to eliminate him which has been confirmed by his lawyer on Indian media.
this terrorist should be hanged for killing many innocents in Lahore
@Salahuddin: Before calling more than 1 billion people beast look into mirror and also check what entire world call you Pakistanis. How can you call him a terrorist when your own human right activist are fighting for him. I can name several Pakistani sites where educated Pakistani cross all limits while commenting.
Typical Indian replies. Not accepting their fellow countrymen as terrorist while blame every Pakistani who ever they come across. This terrorist should had been hanged long time back
@Salahuddin: Stop making half-brained assumptions. TOI is not moderated whereas ET is; hence, the difference in the quality of comments. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are ever so humane and peace-loving. Also, look up the name "Chamel Singh" while you are at it.
@Indian:
So, what is he?
I am surprised to see the sympathy for a terrorist here.
I feel this has been done to divert attention from things happening currently but it is very sad
Brutes will be brutes. Like Kargil, truth will come out after 5-10 years.
Without getting into the merits of the case, since Sarabjit's case was already much publicised, this incident is now going to directly feed into the Pakistan haters on our side of the border. If it would have happened to some other Indian Prisoner in Pakistani Jail, that would have easily passed off without much noise. As much as I hate Conspiracy theories, There seems to be a deliberate attempt by certain individuals to keep the fire raging b/w our countries.
I just visited Times of India before coming back to ET. I saw the comments and I feel sorry that we are so unfortunate people to have such beasts as our neighbors. They even don't qualify to the status of human beings. They have wrote their comments in English, means, they are the educated lot of India. What can we expect the other half of population which is illiterate there. I felt much better by looking into our comments. I saw kindness at its zenith because people have soft corner for a terrorist who killed so many people. The incident is not appreciable and it is a severe negligence but the question is whether it matter when a convicted prisoner on a death row gets killed by x, y z reasons. He is already dead.
@Indian: He is not terrorist because he is an indian and also a non muslim?
Guess what these 5 men made me feel ashamed of being a Pakistani; Speechless!
@Afzaal Khan: because he is not a terrorist.
India have done these thing before and natural death... Every spy who support terrorism must be hanged....
Pakistani authorities could not do anything to this terrorist in 20 years... now fate has served the role
The prisoners who attacked were identified and sent to separate barracks for interrogation. Initial reports suggested that the five prisoners were also on death row.
Do we really need these men alive? Can they ever become good citizens of our society? The chances are very slim. Keeping these men alive is just asking for trouble. Maybe its about time pakistani Govt should restore the death penelty. There is no benefit is keeping these rapists, murderers, drug dealers, smugglers, spies and terrorists. They are burden on the economy.
Can't say I feel sorry for this terrorist.
Why this terrorist hasn't been hanged yet?
Such an incident can happen any where in the world when prisioners are kept more than the capacity of an individusl barrack of the jail.
This is really sad. Law enforcement should look into the matter. Hope he recovers soon.
He is probably dead by now. Zardari wanted to release him but there is too much opposition. So, killing him is the best way to satisfy all. Blame other prisoners, who are convicts anyway and not many questions will be raised. Killing him any other way may be inconvenient as it is difficult to avoid questions on medical reports. May this innocent man or Martyr rest in peace.