India demands Pakistan probe into Sarabjit's killing

NEW DELHI: Asserting that Sarabjit Singh's death was a killing of an Indian citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities, India today demanded that Pakistan conducts a through probe into the incident to ensure that those who are responsible were punished.

It also said that the shocking attack on Sarabjit highlights the needs of concerted action by Pakistan to safeguard Indians in Pakistani jails.

"We express great anguish at the demise of Sarabjit Singh who succumbed to injuries after the brutal attack on him in Kot Lakhpat Jail. This was, put simply, the killing of our citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities.

"We demand that the government of Pakistan conducts a through investigation to identify those who were responsible, and to ensure that they are punished," Ministry of External Affairs said today in a release here.

The Ministry also said that it shares the pain and sorrow of Sarabjit's family and has asked has the Pakistani authorities to release his body so that he can be given a funeral in Indian and among his own people.

Sarabjit, 49, died of cardiac arrest in a Lahore hospital in the wee hours today after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by fellow inmates in the high-security Pakistani jail.

Sarabjit sustained severe injuries when at least six prisoners attacked him in a barrack at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday, hitting him on the head with bricks.