BIKHIWIND (AMRITSAR): The mortal remains of Sarabjit Singh, which were brought to his village here 23 years after he inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan, were consigned to flames on Friday afternoon with state honours.
Draped in the tricolour, the body of Sarabjit Singh was taken to the cremation ground from the village school in a procession. Sarabjit’s family members performed his last rites.
Union minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur, an MP from Patiala, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his deputy Sukhbir Badal and a number of leaders attended the last rites of Sarabjit.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also attended the funeral of Sarabjit Singh.
The government has announced a state funeral and also a three-day mourning as a mark of respect to Sarabjit, besides financial aid and government jobs for his family.
The village with a population of around 11,000 and located about 36km from Amritsar, is in a state of mourning since Thursday with residents gathering near the house of the family after the news of the Indian prisoner’s death spread.
Shops and commercial establishments in this area have also remained shut. The village witnessed angry protests with locals raising anti-Pakistan slogans and burning effigies.
Officials of the district administration had made arrangements for the state funeral in the outskirts of Bikhiwind. A large posse of police personnel were deployed.
His family and friends wailed as the body was brought to his house, marking the end of his journey of torture and despair, that lasted nearly 23 years.
As an Indian Air Force helicopter equipped with night-landing facility landed at a special helipad, Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, earlier a picture of strength, appeared completely shattered.
She touched the coffin as it was brought out from the helicopter.
Meanwhile, a second autopsy was conducted on Thursday night by a team of six doctors at the government-run Amritsar Medical College to ascertain the cause of Sarabjit’s death. The first postmortem was carried out at the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.
Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has demanded an independent probe by an international agency into the circumstances leading to Sarabjit’s death.
According to his family, Sarabjit had inadvertently crossed the zero-line near here in an inebriated state while working in his fields which run along the border.
Skull injury contributed to death: Sarabjit Singh suffered massive internal bleeding because of a head injury, according to an initial autopsy report.
“It seems that a 5 cm-wide injury on the top of Sarabjit Singh’s skull contributed to his death,” said one of the members of the medical board that conducted the autopsy.
The member, who did not want to be identified, said the board found some minor injuries on Sarabjit’s face, neck and arms. The board had sent samples of some organs, including the spleen, kidneys, liver, stomach , for forensic analysis. (Agencies)