Dalbir Kaur, Sister Of Sarabjit Singh Who Died In Pakistan Jail, Passes Away

Dalbir Kaur passed away on Saturday night after being rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar, she had been suffering a lung infection for the past one year.

Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh.

Source : Getty

New Delhi: Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh who was killed in a Pakistani prison in 2013 after he was beaten up by inmates, died on Saturday in Amritsar. Her last rites will be conducted today at Bhikhiwind in Punjab. According to PTI, her family said that on Saturday Kaur had complained of severe chest pain after which she was taken to a private hospital in Amritsar where she passed away. Sarabjit Singh’s daughter Poonam, said that the 67-year-old was already suffering from a lung infection for the past year. 

Her condition was described as critical by the doctors at the hospital and Kaur was immediately admitted to the ICU. Poonam said that Dalbir Kaur was declared dead by the hospital after a few hours. She said that Dalbir's last rites will be performed in the afternoon in Bhikhiwind, her native town in the Tarn Taran district.

In April 2013, Sarabjit Singh who had been in prison for 22 years was attacked by his inmates in Kot Lakhpat jail, Lahore. The 49-year-old was declared dead by doctors at Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital after being comatose for five days due to severe injuries in the head.

According to ANI, Sarbjit Singh was a farmer from Bhikhiwind town in Punjab, who used to live near the India-Pakistan border. He had mistakenly crossed over the border after having a couple of drinks. He was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and was sentenced to death in 1991. However, the Pakistani government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008, reported PTI.

During the 22 years, he had been in prison, his older sister Dalbir Kaur had fought against the system to release her brother. Kaur had always insisted that her brother, Singh was innocent and had strayed into Pakistan by mistake when he was arrested. 

According to PTI, Kaur had also visited the Kot Lakhpat Rai Jail in Lahore twice along with her family members, including two daughters and the wife of Sarbjit Singh, to enquire about his well-being. After his death, Sarabjit's body was brought from Lahore to Amritsar where his last rites were held.

The Ministry of External Affairs had asked the Pakistani government to conduct a probe into Singh’s death, while his sister, Dalbir Kaur had also called for an inquiry into the case and said: “If the attack was planned by the government itself, then there is no need for an inquiry. But if Sarabjit was attacked without the knowledge of the authorities, then an inquiry is definitely needed”, reported ANI.