Pakistan Tuesday handed over the body of Kirpal Singh, who had allegedly crossed the Attari-Wagah border to enter the neighbouring country 24 years ago, to his family members at the Wagah border near Amritsar. Sentenced to death in a serial bomb blasts case in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the Indian prisoner died under mysterious circumstances in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail on April 11. Pakistan returned his body after conducting a postmortem at a Lahore hospital. Another autopsy was conducted at an Amritsar hospital, as sought by Singh’s family. Pakistan jail officials had initially suggested that Singh might have had a cardiac failure. But Rajesh Sharma, SDM-2, said, “The report autopsy sent by Pakistan doesn’t mention any cause of death.” Read | In Pakistan jail since ’92, Kirpal Singh longed for home; family now waits for his body Ashok Chanan, chairman of the three-doctor board that conducted the postmortem in Amritsar, said, “There were no signs of internal and external injury on the body. We have sent his viscera for examination at the laboratory in Kharar. Heart and liver were missing from the body.” Singh’s family alleges that he was killed as part a conspiracy. Read | India to raise prisoner Kirpal Singh’s death issue in Pakistan at top level Singh’s body reached the Wagah border around 2.30 pm. Family members, including sister Jagir Kaur, received the body at the joint checkpost at Wagah border. [related-post] Punjab Cabinet minister Gulzar Singh Ranike and Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam were among senior officials present. Also present was Dalbir Kaur, sister of another Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who had died in Pakistan in 2013 after being allegedly attacked by fellow inmates at Kot Lakhpat Jail. According to Dalbir, Kirpal was killed because he knew many secrets about Sarabjit’s death. Ashwini Kumar, a nephew of Kirpal, also said, “My uncle was killed so that the conspiracy behind the killing of Sarabjit Singh remains under wrap. He had witnessed Sarabjit’s killing, and the killers had celebrated in my uncle’s cell.” WATCH INDIAN EXPRESS VIDEOS HERE
