New Delhi/ Gurdaspur: External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj has assured the kin of Kirpal Singh, who died under mysterious circumstances in a Lahore jail, that India would get his mortal remains back home.
During a meeting with Singh’s family members here, Swaraj said her Ministry had sought information from the Pakistan government on the cause of death and details of the post-mortem report.
On the other hand, Pakistan has claimed that Singh died of a heart attack. Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, who died in 2013 after he was attacked by two Pakistani prisoners in the Kot Lakhpat Jail, also met Swaraj along with kin of Singh.
"According to govt of Pakistan, Kirpal Singh died on April 11 at 1455hrs due to heart attack. We await further details. Our Acting High Commissioner met DG South Asia in the Min of Foreign Affairs & asked for earliest possible repatriation of mortal remains," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
The MEA would look into the matter seriously and added that they trust her, Swarup added.
The family members also demanded the Centre to declare him a martyr like Sarabjit Singh.
Kirpal was imprisoned in the Lahore jail for 24 years after being accused of playing a part in a bomb attack at the Faisalabad railway station.
His kin claimed that he was innocent and had inadvertently slipped into Pakistani territory under the influence of liquor in February, 1992. Kirpal was a native of Mustfabad Saida village, which is close to the Indo-Pakistan border.
His family also said they suspect that there was foul play leading to his death. In 2013, Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died after being attacked by fellow prisoners at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore.
50-year-old Singh was found dead in his cell at Kot Lakhpat Jail in the wee hours of Monday.
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