A former Indian spy, who had spent some time
with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari behind the3 bars in a
Pakistani jail, feels Sarabjit Singh may have been killed in an attack
planned by the ISI. "I don't have any doubt that the attack on Sarabjit
was pre-planned and was the handiwork of ISI and jail officials though
other people attacked him. Now, two prisoners are being made sacrificial
goats," said Mehbood Elahi, who was Zardari's jailmate at the Karachi
Central Jail for a few months between 1986-87 during the Mohammad
Zia-ul-Haq regime. Elahi claimed that in 1977 he was given a blank
cheque by jail and ISI officials to assassinate a top Pakistani leader
who was then in Lahore jail. "It is impossible for other prisoners to
attack Sarabjit. I myself had been in Pakistani jails for 20 years. I
know very well that Pakistani prisoners never attack Indian or
Bangladeshi prisoners who are kept in separate cells," Elahi told PTI
here. Elahi, who claims to have crossed over to Pakistan in the '60s
and '70s, was in jail in Pakistan from 1977-1996 on the charge of spying
for India. "Death row convicts and convicts of foreign origin are
always kept separately and handcuffed when taken out of their cells. So,
how is it possible for them to attack someone?" said Elahi who returned
to India in the late nineties after serving his sentence. "These jails
have very high security and it is impossible to import blades and other
things from outside without the knowledge of jail officials," he added.
Sarabjit died in a Lahore hospital in the early hours after being
comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by fellow
prisoners in a high-security jail.
Legendary playback singer Manna Dey, who mesmerised generations of listeners with his inimitable voice for over five decades with hits like 'ay mere pyara watan', 'laaga chunri me daag' and 'poocho na kaise', died at a hospital here today at the age of 94 after prolonged illness. Dey, who was in and out of Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in the last five months for respiratory and renal problems, died of cardiac arrest with his daughter Shumita Deb and son-in-law Jnanranjan Deb by his bedside when the end came at 3.50 AM. The condition of Dey, who had made Bangalore his home for the last many years, deteriorated since yesterday afternoon, hospital spokesman Vasuki said. With the demise of Dey, the void has become complete in the famous quartet of singers Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar, who dominated the Hindi music industry from 1950s to 1970s. The mortal remains of Dey, whose unique voice lent a rare dimension to his persona, were cremate...
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