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| '''Sarabjit Singh''', also known as '''Manjit singh''' is an Indian national who was falsely convicted for his involvement in 1990 serial bomb blasts in ] and ] that killed 14 people. The Pakistani courts have sentenced him to death by hanging despite evidences to prove his innocence and appeals by the ] and ] activists and organisations from around the world - particularly by ] activist ]. | |||
| '''Sarabjit Singh''', also known as '''Manjit singh''', An Indian citizen who was convicted for his involvement in 1990 serial bomb blasts in ] and ] that killed 14 people.The Pakistani authorities has decided to execute capital punishment of Manjit Singh despite the requests of ] and the family of Indian pensioner because internal local pressure and tragic death of a Pakistani cricket fan Khalid Mahmood who had gone to India to watch a cricket match in 2005, but was arrested and denied consular access. He later died in an Indian prison and also earlier released Indian prisoner ] admitted on his arrival in India that he was Indian spy and went there for some spy related job.The execution of Manjit singh was earlier fixed for April 1. He was likely to be hanged on May 1, 2008. | |||
| The extremist lobby in Pakistan played up the case by laying on the sentiments of the Pakistani people, completely ignoring the fact that an Indian national had also died in Pakistani prison only a few days later. | |||
| Sarabjit Singh is likely to be hanged on May 1, 2008. | |||
| ==Prosecution Case== | ==Prosecution Case== | ||
| ⚫ | On ], ] foreign officer spokesman Naeem Khan said that ‘The alleged Indian agent Manjit Singh confessed his involvement in bomb blasts in Pakistan whose all evidences were presented in court. | ||
| ⚫ | According to the record, he was arrested red handed during crossing the ] in August 1990 near the ]. Nine days later, he was produced before a ] as ‘Manjit Singh’, a man wanted for acts of ] in ]. Before the magistrate, Manjit confessed to his crime. Also Pakistan says he was working for the Indian intelligence agency ] when he was arrested in Lahore. | ||
| ⚫ | On August 24, 2005 |
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| ⚫ | According to the record, he was arrested red handed during crossing the border in August 1990 near the ]. Nine days later, he was produced before a ] as ‘Manjit Singh’, a man wanted for acts of ] in ]. Before the magistrate, Manjit confessed to his crime. Also Pakistan says he was working for the Indian intelligence agency |
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| He was awarded the death penalty by the Anti-Terrorist Court in 1991, based on the original confession he had made before a magistrate. His sentence was upheld by the High Court and later by the Supreme Court. He was likely to be hanged on May 2008. The Supreme Court rejected his mercy petition in March 2006 and upheld the death sentence. President ] had rejected his mercy petition on March 3. | He was awarded the death penalty by the Anti-Terrorist Court in 1991, based on the original confession he had made before a magistrate. His sentence was upheld by the High Court and later by the Supreme Court. He was likely to be hanged on May 2008. The Supreme Court rejected his mercy petition in March 2006 and upheld the death sentence. President ] had rejected his mercy petition on March 3. | ||
| ==Arguments |
==Arguments for Manjit== | ||
| Later on he denied it all during trial. He maintained that his name was Sarabjit Singh and that he had often crossed the ] border, smuggling ] . | |||
| Manjit Singh’s relatives say he is a simple farmer who was arrested after he strayed across the Pakistani border from his northern frontier hometown of Bhikiwind in ] state while drunk in 1990. His wife Sukh Prit Kaur, a resident of Bhikhiwind village of district Tarantaran, claimed he left to plough his fields near ] Border on August 28, 1990, but never returned. She said the family launched a search but could not find any clue to his whereabouts for nine months and finally they received a letter from Manjit informing them that he was caught by Pakistani border forces when he mistakenly crossed the border under the influence of liquor. | |||
| After appeals by the family and the ], the leading human rights activist and senior ] of Pakistan ] took on the case of Sarabjit Singh. | |||
| External Affairs Minister ] took up Manjit Singh’s case with Pakistan High Commissioner ] and urged him to convey Delhi’s hope that ] would treat the matter as a humanitarian issue. | |||
| After studying the case files, Burney made an appeal to the ] making several arguments in favour of Sarabjit, arguments that he said proved that the case against him was very weak and against the settled principles of law. | |||
| He said that: Sarabjit Singh was arrested on 30 August 1990 at Kasur for illegally crossing the border – he had not been arrested red handed, he was not arrested in connection to terrorism, he was not arrested with anything incriminating. In fact, he was arrested with only the following in his possession: a ] watch, a torch, Pak Rs. 653 and Shalwaar Kameez suits for his wife. | |||
| After 8 days of torture, Sarabjit Singh was forced to ‘confess’ that he was responsible for the bombings – but Burney argued that the confession was made against set rules and regulations; and that a confession made while he was in custody and under torture held no evidentiary value in the eyes of the law. | |||
| Burney also pointed out that a key witness in the trial, a man named Shaukat Salim, stated recently on TV that he had been forced to testify against Sarabjit by the Pakistani police, even though he had never seen him in his life. | |||
| Other witnesses in the trial also gave contradictory statements and thus their testimonies were dismissed by the court. | |||
| Sarabjit Singh was also never presented in an Identity Parade; instead he was introduced to the witnesses as the culprit. | |||
| There were many other doubts, irregularities and illegalities in the case – and Burney argued that in such circumstances, there was a settled principle of law that the benefit of doubt should always go to the accused; but even with so many doubts and illegalities in the case, he was sentenced to death. | |||
| Burney also pointed out that Sarabjit’s mercy appeals in the Supreme Court of Pakistan were only rejected because they had been submitted late by the jail authorities. | |||
| With nothing substantial to prove Sarabjit’s guilt and so much to prove his innocence, Burney requested that the President of Pakistan grant him mercy. | |||
| ==Visit of his family to Pakistan== | ==Visit of his family to Pakistan== | ||
| ⚫ | Later on the ] has been given seven-day visa to Manjit’s family to visit Lahore and ]. | ||
| ⚫ | Later on the ] has given seven-day visa to Manjit’s family to visit Lahore and ]. | ||
| We are hopeful that the government of Pakistan will release Manjit Singh after reviewing his death sentence and our visit to Pakistan will not prove futile.”Manjit’s wife Sukh Prit Kaur, who was accompanied by his two daughters Swapan Deep and Poonam Kaur, a sister and a paternal uncle, expressed the hope at Gurdwara Dera Sahib after her arrival in the city via Wagah on Wednesday. | We are hopeful that the government of Pakistan will release Manjit Singh after reviewing his death sentence and our visit to Pakistan will not prove futile.”Manjit’s wife Sukh Prit Kaur, who was accompanied by his two daughters Swapan Deep and Poonam Kaur, a sister and a paternal uncle, expressed the hope at Gurdwara Dera Sahib after her arrival in the city via Wagah on Wednesday. | ||
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| *The daily DAWN, August 29,2005. | *The daily DAWN, August 29,2005. | ||
| ] | |||
| * | |||
Revision as of 21:29, 26 April 2008
 | This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. |
Sarabjit Singh, also known as Manjit singh, An Indian citizen who was convicted for his involvement in 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people.The Pakistani authorities has decided to execute capital punishment of Manjit Singh despite the requests of Indian government and the family of Indian pensioner because internal local pressure and tragic death of a Pakistani cricket fan Khalid Mahmood who had gone to India to watch a cricket match in 2005, but was arrested and denied consular access. He later died in an Indian prison and also earlier released Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh admitted on his arrival in India that he was Indian spy and went there for some spy related job.The execution of Manjit singh was earlier fixed for April 1. He was likely to be hanged on May 1, 2008.
Prosecution Case
On August 24, 2005 foreign officer spokesman Naeem Khan said that ‘The alleged Indian agent Manjit Singh confessed his involvement in bomb blasts in Pakistan whose all evidences were presented in court.
According to the record, he was arrested red handed during crossing the border in August 1990 near the Kasur. Nine days later, he was produced before a magistrate as ‘Manjit Singh’, a man wanted for acts of terrorism in Pakistan. Before the magistrate, Manjit confessed to his crime. Also Pakistan says he was working for the Indian intelligence agency RAW when he was arrested in Lahore.
He was awarded the death penalty by the Anti-Terrorist Court in 1991, based on the original confession he had made before a magistrate. His sentence was upheld by the High Court and later by the Supreme Court. He was likely to be hanged on May 2008. The Supreme Court rejected his mercy petition in March 2006 and upheld the death sentence. President Pervez Musharraf had rejected his mercy petition on March 3.
Arguments for Manjit
Later on he denied it all during trial. He maintained that his name was Sarabjit Singh and that he had often crossed the Kasur border, smuggling alcohol . Manjit Singh’s relatives say he is a simple farmer who was arrested after he strayed across the Pakistani border from his northern frontier hometown of Bhikiwind in Punjab state while drunk in 1990. His wife Sukh Prit Kaur, a resident of Bhikhiwind village of district Tarantaran, claimed he left to plough his fields near Wagah Border on August 28, 1990, but never returned. She said the family launched a search but could not find any clue to his whereabouts for nine months and finally they received a letter from Manjit informing them that he was caught by Pakistani border forces when he mistakenly crossed the border under the influence of liquor. External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh took up Manjit Singh’s case with Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan and urged him to convey Delhi’s hope that Islamabad would treat the matter as a humanitarian issue.
Visit of his family to Pakistan
Later on the Government of Pakistan has been given seven-day visa to Manjit’s family to visit Lahore and Nankana Sahib. We are hopeful that the government of Pakistan will release Manjit Singh after reviewing his death sentence and our visit to Pakistan will not prove futile.”Manjit’s wife Sukh Prit Kaur, who was accompanied by his two daughters Swapan Deep and Poonam Kaur, a sister and a paternal uncle, expressed the hope at Gurdwara Dera Sahib after her arrival in the city via Wagah on Wednesday.
References
- The daily DAWN, March 18,2008.
- The daily DAWN, March 20,2008.
- The daily DAWN, April 24,2008.
- The daily DAWN, August 26,2005.
- The daily DAWN, August 29,2005.