Agencies
Lahore, Mar 25 : An initial autopsy report has indicated that deceased Indian prisoner Chamel Singh was tortured to death.
Singh, 40, was thrashed to death by the wardens of the Pakistan prison, where he was serving a term for illegally crossing the border. He was arrested on charges of espionage in 2008.
Singh was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Pakistan court in August 2010. He died on January 15, 2013, reports The Express Tribune.
Pakistani lawyer Tehseen Khan had said that the jail authorities passed racist remarks against Indians, to which Singh objected.
According to the autopsy report, traces of four injuries were found on Singh's body including a fracture in the right knee, an abrasion on the left knee joint, an abrasion over his upper lip and scars on his thigh.
A chemical report to ascertain the cause of death will take about two more weeks.
The autopsy was conducted at Jinnah Hospital Lahore almost two months after Singh's death. The autopsy was conducted on March 13, the same day Singh's body was sent back to India.
A doctor at the hospital said Singh was brought dead to the hospital, and added that his body bore signs of torture. He further said that the hospital was given no file for Singh's case, which goes against the regular practice.
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. He accused the departments of trying to cover up the issue.
Sheikh had earlier approached the Lahore High Court for an inquiry into Singh's death, but his petition was turned down.
The case's investigation officer, meanwhile, said that they were waiting for the final autopsy report and would act accordingly against accused individuals if the allegation of torture is conclusively proved. |
