NHRC condemns killing of Pakistani inmate in jail, issues notices to Rajasthan authorities
The commission also directed authorities to investigate Islamabad’s claims that the prisoner was killed in retaliation after the Pulwama attack.
The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday condemned the killing of a Pakistani prisoner who was murdered allegedly by fellow inmates at the Jaipur Central Jail. The human rights panel said it had taken suo motu cognizance of media reports on the matter.
The human rights commission also directed the authorities to investigate Pakistan’s claims that the prisoner was killed in retaliation to the Pulwama attack. The commission issued notices to the Rajasthan chief secretary and the director general (prisons) asking them to submit reports on the matter within four weeks.
The incident came a suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district killed 40 Central Police Reserve Force personnel on February 14. India’s ties with Pakistan have deteriorated after the attack, with Pakistan saying that it will act against terrorists on it soil only if Delhi provides proof.
Media reports had identified the deceased as Shakirullah, who was serving a life sentence. The panel has called for strict action against the accused to ensure “that the right to life of the prisoners are not violated while they are in lawful judicial custody”.
Unidentified police officials told PTI that the deceased was a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who was serving a sentence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 2017. Inspector General in-charge of prisons Rupinder Singh claimed that he was killed during a squabble over the TV remote.
Meanwhile, a three-member medical board conducted a postmortem on the body of the inmate, PTI reported. Dr Nand Lal, who was part of the board from the government-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital, said the procedure was conducted under the supervision of a judicial magistrate.
The postmortem report will be submitted to the magistrate.
The inmate’s body is in the mortuary and may be handed over to Pakistan if its High Commission makes a request for it, police officials said.
A murder case has been registered at the Lalkothi police station against inmates identified as Ajit, Manoj, Kulvendra and Bhajan Meena.
