Many Indians still languishing in Pakistan jails: Jaipur man

JAIPUR: Gajanand Sharma, a Jaipur man who was released from a Pakistani jail earlier this week after over 36 years, said that many more prisoners like him were still languishing in prisons in Pakistan.

His grand-daughter Nikita told the media on Thursday that Sharma still needs to come out of the haunting pains he suffered during his long stay in the Pakistani jail.

Sharma disappeared in 1982 and his family members were clueless about his whereabouts till May 4 when they received a letter from the local police asking for verification.

Nikita, who spoke on behalf of her grandfather, said that the other Indian prisoners who were still lodged in the prisons were paying the price for crossing the border by mistake.

She said that prison authorities used to brutally torture Sharma, who at one point also had his wrist broken.

He also bears a cut mark on his ankle which according to Sharma was meted out to him by the jail authorities.

According to the family, Sharma is still comfortable sitting in dim light. Whenever someone puts on the fan, he gets scared and recalls horrific memories where he was given electric shocks on his feet.

Nikita said her grandfather crossed the border into Pakistan by mistake and has been repenting ever since.

Sharma’s wife, Makhni Devi said her husband was into wrestling during his younger days.

During that time, he used to gulp two litres of milk and had a healthy diet. That’s the reason he returned alive after being a witness to so many tortures, she added.

His memory also seems unstable at times and is forgetting things, Makhni Devi said.

“I struggled a lot with my children. I worked as a maid in houses, cleaned utensils, mixed spices, worked in hospital and what not to raise the children. Now, I am happy that my husband is back to take care of his family,” she added.