NHRC notices to Rajasthan over killing of Pakistani prisoner in jail

JAIPUR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued notices to Rajasthan’s chief secretary, Devendra Bhushan Gupta, and director general (prisons) NRK Reddy over the killing of a Pakistani prisoner at the Jaipur Central Jail on Wednesday.

It has asked them to look into the allegation that Shakir Ullah, 45, was killed in retaliation to the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force men in an attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district last week.

The NHRC took cognisance of the murder on the basis of media reports and directed the states and Union territories to ensure the safety of Pakistani nationals lodged in jails. “The commission condemns all such incidents and has called for stringent action against the miscreants to ensure that the right to life of the prisoners is not violated while they are in lawful judicial custody,” the NHRC said in a statement.

Reddy said they have made special arrangements to ensure the safety of 17 Pakistanis lodged in jails across the state. He added Ullah’s post mortem was conducted on Thursday and his body will be buried if nobody claims it in the next seven days.

Ullah was convicted in a terror case and had been lodged in the Jaipur jail since 2011. Four prisoners allegedly killed him after an argument on Wednesday.

Reddy said action has been taken against three jail officials and inspector general (prisons) has been asked to conduct an inquiry into administrative lapses. Jaipur central jail superintendent Sanjay Yadav and deputy jailor Jagdish Sharma were removed and head warden of ward number 10, where Ullah was lodged, Baidyanath Sharma, was suspended.

NHRC HAS DIRECTED ALL THE STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PAKISTANI NATIONALS LODGED IN JAILS