The story changes: Sarabjit was spy, claims Indian daily

Sarabjit managed to accomplish the task given to him but was caught while trying to flee, says an intelligence source.

Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who died in Lahore after a severe beating by fellow inmates, had gone to Pakistan for an operation managed by a senior Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official, The Hindustan Times reported on Monday.

The managing official later became the external intelligence agency’s chief.

“Sarabjit was an Indian spy in Pakistan. He managed to accomplish the task given to him but was caught while trying to flee,” the newspaper cited an intelligence source as saying.

The Pakistani government had maintained that he was an Indian spy, but Sarabjit’s family said he was a farmer who accidentally crossed the border into Pakistan while drunk.

A former intelligence official, who dealt with Sarabjit’s case, said the task designated to Sarabjit didn’t serve any tactical purpose. Yet the intelligence agency had executed many such missions in Pakistan in the early and mid 90s.

“Sarabjit had been awarded a state funeral because his case was mainly highlighted due to efforts of his politically astute sister Dalbir Kaur. His family is also being compensated, But there are many cases in which the spies came back from Pakistan knocked the doors of courts to get their dues,” said a source.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.