Angry protests were held in India yesterday over the death of an Indian man on death row in Pakistan for spying.
Sarabjit Singh, who was sentenced 16 years ago over deadly bombings, died in the early hours yesterday, five days after a savage assault in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, a doctor at Jinnah hospital said.
His attackers were swiftly charged with murder as New Delhi demanded justice.
The motive was unclear, but Pakistani police say an initial investigation pointed to an exchange of “hot words.”
“The criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on Sarabjit Singh must be brought to justice,” Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on his official Twitter page.
Pakistan flags were burned at protests in Sarabjit’s native Bhikhiwind village, in Punjab.
The 49-year-old went into a coma after suffering numerous serious injuries when six prisoners attacked him on April 26, hitting him on the head with bricks and fracturing his skull.
Sarabjit’s body was flown to India from Lahore in a special aircraft sent by New Delhi.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin denied that Sarabjit was an Indian spy.
India complained that its diplomats were denied access to the prisoner as he fought for his life, and the premier said it was “particularly regrettable” that Pakistan had not responded to appeals “to take a humanitarian view of this case.”
Pakistan insists regular consular access was granted to Sarabjit and said doctors did everything possible to save him before his death from cardiac arrest.
Sarabjit’s lawyer said his client had received threats following the execution of Kashmiri separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru in India.
Indian Parliament’s lower house was adjourned in uproar yesterday as Speaker Meira Kumar moved a resolution condemning the “inhuman treatment” of Sarabjit.
The family was consoled in a meeting in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of the ruling Congress party.
India livid as thrashed ‘spy’ dies in Pakistan
