Indian spy' languishing in Pak jail for 20 years found dead in his cell

Lahore: An Indian national who was languishing at a Lahore jail for more than 20 years on spying charges was found dead in his cell on Monday.

Kirpal Singh, 50, 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 Punjab province.

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

He said the body of Kirpal has been shifted to the Jinah Hospital Lahore for autopsy. A judicial magistrate was also called who recorded the statements of some prisoners about the death of Kirpal, the official said.

To a question about the death of Kirpal by torture, he said: “The inmates of the jail near to Kirpal stated that he complained about pain in his chest and died instantly.”

Jail police station head Nafees Ahmed said the authorities had called police to shift the body to the dead house.

“Apparently, it seems the Indian prisoner died of natural death. However, autopsy will tell the exact cause of death,” he said. Kirpal Sinhg, who hails from Gurdaspur district in Punjab, has reportedly been 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 raise voice for his release due to financial constraints and no politician came forward to plead his case.

Earlier, in 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. Both accused - Muhammad Muddasar and Amir Tamba also condemned prisoners - are facing trial of his murder at the jail.

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