Navjeevan Gopal:

AMRITSAR: Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan — convicted in serial blasts cases that killed 14 people about two decades ago in Lahore and Faislabad — had crossed the border to “smuggle liquor and was caught with two bottles of Peter Scot and $800”. This, according to Sarabjit’s statement before a special court in Pakistan, on October 30, 1991.

The statement — a copy of which is with Sarabjit’s lawyer Awais Sheikh, who is currently in Amritsar — under section 342 of CrPC was taken without oath and recorded before the judge of a special court.

“No. I crossed the border in connection with smuggling of liquir (read liquor) on the night between 29th and 30th of August 1990,” said Sarabjit in his statement before the court when asked “is it a fact that you illegally crossed the Indian border on 30.8.90?”

In response to another query, Sarabjit had said: “I was arrested between the night of 29th and 30th August, 1990. No identity card was recovered from me. At that time, I was in possession of 800 dollars and two Peter Scot liquir (read liquor bottles).”

The statement negates his family’s claims that Sarabjit had crossed over to Pakistan “inadvertently in an inebriated condition”.

When contacted, his sister Dalbir Kaur denied that Sarabjit had crossed over to Pakistan to smuggle liquor. “My grandfather was in Army, my father was a driver with Punjab Roadways. No one in the family has had any remotest connection with smuggling,” Dalbir said, adding that she did not know who wrote the statement on Sarabjit’s behalf.

Sheikh, who has attached the said statement in Sarabjit’s mercy petition before the Pakistan government, said he has also attached documents pointing out that Sarabjit was a victim of mistaken identity and the real accused in the case was Manjit Singh.

According to Sarabjit’s statement, Manjit Singh “was let off after being arrested on August 31, 1990” and in his place, “I have been substituted”.

In the statement, Sarabjit had also denied that he was produced before a magistrate or made any confessional statement. The confession, in which Sarabjit was said to have admitted that he carried out five bomb blasts, including the Ghaziabad bomb blast on July 28, 1990, was one of the primary reasons for him getting a death sentence.

Sarabjit had also denied that he was “prepared and trained by DSP R K Wasti of RAW, an Indian Intelligence Agency, for terrorist activities in Pakistan”.

“It was a case of mistaken identity. I will take up the matter with interior ministry of Pakistan and address the problems being faced by Sarabjit in jail,” said Sheikh.

(Courtesy Indian Express)