Chandigarh: Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who went into a coma after being badly beaten up by a fellow inmate in a Jammu jail last week, died on Thursday morning at PGIMER hospital here.
“The patient was brought in a brain dead condition and died this morning due to multiple organ failure,” a PGI spokesman said.
The condition of the injured Sanaullah, who is serving a life term after he was convicted under TADA provisions following his arrest in 1999, had worsened yesterday following kidney failure and neurological problems.
Sanaullah (52) was airlifted from Jammu to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Friday ater he was beaten up by an Indian inmate, a day after the death of an Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who was brutally attacked by fellow inmates in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the body of Sanaullah would be handed over to Pakistan even as Islamabad demanded an investigation into the attack.
The victim’s relatives arrived here on Tuesday from Pakistan.
“We will hand over the body to Pakistan,” Shinde told PTI.
Shinde said the Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating with the Pakistani authorities to complete the formalities to send back his body home. “Once the formalities are done, we will hand over the body,” he said.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Chaudhry said Pakistan was making arrangements to repatriate the body. Sources in Delhi said a detailed post-mortem of Sanaullah was being done in Chandigarh and that the travel arrangements would be made as per the request made by Pakistan. Government has been informed that Pakistan is arranging an aircraft to fly his body back home, the sources said, adding “If they arrange a non-military registered plane, the clearance would be prompt”.
An official spokesperson in the MEA said India will facilitate Pakistan’s request to repatriate the body of Sanaullah and will provide necessary assistance.
In view of the tragic events, including the killing of two Indians in Pakistani jails and the Sanaullah incident, India has proposed that the officials of the two countries meet and take forward the recommendations of a judicial committee on humane treatment of prisoners, he said.
A Pakistani response to the proposal is awaited, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has offered his “sincere apology” to the family of Sanaullah.
“Although it’s scant consolation, I’d like to offer a sincere apology to the family…” Abdullah tweeted.
The chief minister regretted that such a thing should have happened at all, but assured that those responsible for dereliction of duty in this incident would not go unpunished.
“While the inquiry will fix responsibility for any dereliction of duty, the fact that this (happened) at all is a matter of great regret”, he said in another post.
Abdullah thanked doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu and at PGIMER in Chandigarh for the efforts they made to save Sanaullah’s life. The state government has suspended the jail superintendent of the high security Kot Bhalwal jail where Sanaullah was serving a life term after being convicted by a court.(Agencies)