Srinagar, Mar 22, 2012: A 20-year old Sajad Ahmad Dar detained under black law, Public Safety Act (PSA) died in a Hospital in Srinagar due to lack of timely medical treatment. The family of the deceased said that infamous Indian armed group; Special Operations Group was responsible for the death, as they did not provide him medical treatment despite court directions. He was detained under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA) at Kupwara district jail died in a hospital in Srinagar.
The family said that Sajad’s condition worsened in the jail due to negligence of the staff. “His life could have been saved had he been provided proper medical treatment,” said Tariq Ahmad, Sajad’s brother.
“20-year old Sajad Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Nabi of Sangram-pora Sopore, a contractual BSNL employee dealing with a small cell-phone recharging business before his arrest died at Soura Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Srinagar after he complained of headache over the past two days,” a police spokesman said. The family of victim who is demanding probe into the death said that he was not provided Medicare at the appropriate time. They said that he was complaining headache for past one and a half month and was not given proper medicare despite repeated requests of the family.
He was arrested by Special Operations Group on fake charges of providing SIM cards to militants and was later booked under Public Safety Act, the family members of the youth said. They have demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
According to reports Sajad Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Nabi Dar, resident of Sangrampora Sopore, a contractual employee with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
The police records maintain that Sajad a contractual employee of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was arrested by Sopore police on December 22 last year for providing SIM cards allegedly on fake names to militants in Sopore town.
Sajad Ahmad was detained by the infamous personnel of Special Operation Group in November 2011 on charges of providing SIM cards to militants and was booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA).
He said the youth was initially treated at District Hospital Kupwara on March 21 but was shifted to Srinagar hospital after he continued to complain of the pain in his head.
He said the exact cause of his death will be known only after a postmortem is conducted. Sajad, a resident of Sopore town in Baramulla district, was booked under PSA in January this year and lodged at Kupwara jail.
The family of the victim said that Special Operation Group and jails authorities are responsible for the death, adding that they did not provide him medical treatment despite court directions.
Family of Sajad Ahmad son of Ghulam Nabi Dar of Sangrampora Sopore said that the youth was detained by Special Operations Group (SOG) in November last year.
“After three days, he was left in half-dead condition. It took more than 15 days for him to recover. After his condition became stable, he was again detained by the SOG personnel and kept in Police Station Sopore for more than 20 days,” Ghulam Nabi, father of the deceased, said.
“Then he was taken to sub-jail Baramulla and later shifted to district jail Kupwara,” he said.
The family said that Sajad’s condition worsened in the district jail due to negligence of the staff.
“He was not provided requisite medical aid resulting in deterioration of his health. The court had directed police to conduct his proper medical check-up, but the jail staff did not pay any heed to it. His condition worsened with every passing day and we had to take medicines from home for him,” said Tariq Ahmad, Sajad’s brother.
“His life could have been saved had he been provided proper medical treatment,” Tariq said.
The family said that they urged police and civil authorities to release him for treatment but they turned deaf ears to our repeated pleas.
The post-mortem of the deceased was conducted at Rainawari hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, said, “I had passed the (PSA) order on the dossier prepared by police. I have no power to release anybody serving detention under PSA as this power lies with the government.”
The family members said Sajad was earlier admitted in Sub District Hospital Kupwara, a week ago after he reported to jail authorities about severe pain in head. “Incase he would have been treated in time, the situation would have been different,” they said.
Doctors at Soura Institute of Medical Sciences said that youth was suffering from “Aplitic- us” and there were “multiple Caesar Episode” since yesterday afternoon
Talking to Kashmir Times doctors at Soura Institute of Medical Sciences control room said that Sajad was admitted by the police in causality ward of institute at 10.30 in the morning and he died at 12.30 PM on March 22, 2012 The doctors said he was admitted in hospital with symptoms of “Aplitic- us”.
The doctors admitted that Sajad according to jail authorities has suffered “Multiple Caesar Episode” at Kupwara yesterday at 3PM and has been treated in SDH Kupwara. This morning he was brought to Soura hospital in Srinagar for further treatment.
The doctors further added that the old history of Sajad says that he has a firearm injury on the right side of head suffered in year 2009. In a CT Scan carried out in 2011,a scar in the head has been shown in the right side of the head.
The deceased family said that Sajad died because he was denied timely medical care during his detention by police. An independent probe and the culprits should be punished,” said Sajad’s father, Ghulam Nabi.
Shutdown in Sopore continues for third day on 25th March over the custodial death of Sajad Ahmad who died on Thursday at Soura Hospital in Srinagar after complaining severe headache in Sub-jail in Kupwara.