The relatives of Kirpal Singh, a 50-year-old Indian national who was found dead in a Pakistani jail in mysterious circumstances – after having languished in the prison for 25 years on spying charges – have claimed that Kirpal was murdered and have demanded another post-mortem in India.
This is a planned murder. My uncle was murdered so that Pakistan could cover up how Sarabjit had died. There many injuries on my uncle’s body. We demand another post-mortem and request the Government of India for fresh post-mortem.Kirpal Singh’s nephew
Sarabjit Singh was another Indian prisoner in Central Jail of Lahore who died on 2 May 2013. Sarabjit’s sister, Dalbeer Kaur, had also supported the claims made by Kirpal’s relative.
I firmly believe that Kirpal was killed so that the truth of the brutalities committed on Indian prisoners in Pakistan’s jails doesn’t come out. Why is it that in Lahore jail only Indian prisoners die while reports of mistreating Pakistani prisoners accused of serious crimes and terrorism charges are never heard of?Dalbeer Kaur, Sister of Sarabjit Singh
Pakistan Hands Over Kirpal’s Mortal Remains to India
On Tuesday, the mortal remains of Kirpal were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah Border. Dr Piyush Singh, the First Secretary of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, had escorted the body.
Pakistani officials had conducted a post-mortem on Kirpal’s body on Tuesday morning, and had told the Indian Envoy that Kirpal’s death was due to a heart attack.
Kirpal’s body has been taken to a hospital in Amritsar for another post-mortem.
Kripal had allegedly crossed Wagah border into Pakistan in 1992 and was arrested.
He was subsequently sentenced to death in a serial bomb blasts case in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Kirpal was found dead in his cell last Monday at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, Pakistan.
Kirpal had reportedly been acquitted of the bomb blast charges by the Lahore High Court, but his death sentence could not be commuted for unknown reasons.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)