‘Killer’ accused of brutally murdering Indian death row inmate Sarabjit Singh is gunned down in Pakistan
The suspected killer of an Indian death row prisoner was gunned down at his home in Pakistan by a gang, it emerged last night.
Amir Sarfaraz, also known as Tamba, was accused of brutally murdering Sarabjit Singh, 49, in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013 before he was murdered in Lahore.
The Pakistani underworld don was allegedly attacked by the gang of assailants after they drove to his home on motorcycles.
Local reports claim that the assailants rang Sarfaraz’s doorbell before entering the house and firing several shots at him.
Sarfaraz was rushed to hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries.
Pakistani underworld don Amir Sarfaraz was murdered on Sunday by a gang of motorcycle-borne assailants in Lahore, India
Also known as Tamba, Sarfaraz was allegedly part of the group of six inmates who killed Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in 2013
Sarabjit Singh was allegedly beaten to death with bricks and iron rods while carrying out a death sentence in Kot Lakhpat jail
Born in Lahore in 1979, Don was a close associate of the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba – a militant Islamist group operating in India and Pakistan.
A case was filed against Sarfaraz and others for attacking Sarabjit Singh in jail.
The killing of the Sikh prisoner caused an uproar in India as his death was so violent and brutal.
Singh was killed in captivity after being attacked with bricks and iron rods in 2013 by a gang of six inmates – allegedly including Sarfaraz.
Sources said he was hit on the head with bricks and his face and upper body cut with weapons made from spoons and pieces of ghee cans.
The attack took place when Singh and other prisoners were brought out of their cells for a break.
At the time of the incident, both he and Sarfaraz were in jail following their conviction in another criminal case.
He was initially taken to the prison hospital.
But as his condition worsened, Singh was rushed to Jinnah Hospital with severe head injuries and a damaged spine.
A senior doctor at Jinnah Hospital said Singh’s sister, wife and two daughters were allowed to see him through a window outside the intensive care unit as it was not good for both the patient and attendants to come close to each other.
The killing of Singh caused a sensation throughout India
‘Sarabjit Singh’s face is swollen. He was beaten with iron rods. He is unconscious and in a very critical condition, said Dalbir Kaur, Singh’s elder sister.
Six days later, he died of cardiac arrest after being in a coma for almost a week, and his body was returned to India for its last rites.
An autopsy would proceed to reveal that his skull was fractured in two.
The finger was initially pointed at Sarfaraz, but he was acquitted by a Pakistani court in 2018 citing ‘lack of evidence’ against him.
“Not a single witness testified in court against both suspects. The court acquitted them for lack of evidence against them, an official said at the time.
Singh, who is a resident of Punjab, after being convicted of terrorism by Pakistan, a claim that has been strongly denied by his family and Indian authorities.
His family claims he mistakenly crossed the Pakistani border while farming and revealed they had no idea of his arrest for nearly a year until they received a letter about his conviction.
Singh was arrested by Pakistani Rangers near Kasur, in an unmarked area of the Indo-Pakistani border on 30 August 1990.
Hours before his body was flown into Amritsar aboard a special plane sent by India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanded that Pakistan bring “the criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on Sarabjit” to justice.
Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid added that Sarabjit’s murder had “damaged” bilateral relations.
‘A sustainable relationship between two countries must be between people. That relationship has been hurt by what happened today,’ he said.
In 2013, two of the six prisoners who brutally assaulted Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail said a police inspector ordered them to attack the Indian prisoner.
According to sources, seven officials, including jail superintendent Mohsin Rafiq and additional superintendents Ishtiaq Ahmed Gill and Sawar Sumera, were suspended for not protecting the prisoner.
Throughout her 20-year prison sentence, Dalbir Kaur pleaded tirelessly to secure her brother’s release.
In 2016, a Hindi feature film titled ‘Sarabjit’ was released starring actors Randeep Hooda and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The film was based on the story of Dalbir Kaur and her ordeal in seeking her brother’s release.