Like Sarabjit Singh, another Indian prisoner found dead in Pakistan jail

Just a few years after Sarabjit Singh's murder, another Indian who was incarcerated for over 20 years in a jail in Lahore on charges of spying, was found dead in his cell on 11 April.

Kirpal Singh, 50, was arrested after he allegedly crossed the Wagah border into Pakistan in 1992. He was subsequently sentenced to death in a serial bomb blast case in Punjab province, as well.

“Kirpal Singh was found dead in his cell, at Kot Lakhpat Jail, in the early hours of Monday,” a jail official said.

According to him, Kirpal's body has been shifted to the Jinah Hospital, Lahore, for an autopsy. A judicial magistrate was also called and he recorded some prisoners' statements about the death. 

When asked about torture tactics being used on Kirpal, "the official said, "The jail inmates in Kirpal's vicinity stated that he complained about chest pain and died instantly.”

Station head Nafees Ahmed said, "It seems the Indian prisoner died a natural death. However, the autopsy will ascertain the exact cause." 

Kirpal Singh, originally from Punjab's Gurdaspur district, was reportedly acquitted of bomb blast charges by the Lahore high court but his death sentence could not be commuted because of unknown reasons.

Jagir Kaur, Kirpal’s sister, had earlier said that the family couldn’t do much for his release due to financial constraints and no politician came forward to plead his case.

In the last week of April 2013, Indian prisoner on death row Sarabjit Singh was brutally attacked and murdered by his fellow prisoners at Kot Lakhpat Jail. The accused - Muhammad Muddasar and Amir Tamba - also condemned prisoners, are facing trial for his murder. 

Sarabjit was arrested on charges of executing four bomb blasts in Faisalabad, Multan and Lahore which killed 14 bystanders in 1990. He was sentenced to death.

-with inputs from PTI