Chandigarh, October 10: Unfulfilled demands of pasta and burgers by undertrial foreign nationals, especially India-born Canadian citizens, who are lodged in Punjab prisons may have blocked the extradition of two prime accused in the Jassi honour killing case.
About two weeks after the Canadian Department of Justice (CDJ) stayed the extradition of the two — Malkiat Kaur and Surjit Singh Badesha, the mother and maternal uncle of Jassi — to India to face trial for getting her murdered (for marrying against family’s wishes) by contract killers, it has surfaced that the review petition prayed a stay on the extradition due to the fear of police torture and unhygienic living and food in Punjab jails.
This petition was in turn based on separate complaints by seven Indian-born Canadian citizens, under trial here, who had alleged inhuman conditions, especially poor sanitation and food in the jails, said a senior state police officer. “Though the Canadian Supreme Court had earlier accepted the undertaking of the Punjab jail authorities on clean jails and no torture in the prisons, the review petition asked the CDJ for a rethink,” he said.
As the condition in Punjab jails has become the centre of the controversy on the matter of extradition of accused in the Jassi murder case, ADGP (Prisons) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said the charge was a figment of imagination and ploy by the accused. “The Canadian Embassy staff regularly visit us. A representative visited us two weeks ago as part of the regular liaison meeting. We provide them consular access to the jails. Any authorised person from Canada is welcome to see our jails. But it can’t be forgotten that the jails will be jails only. Apart from jail food, there is provision for having snacks from the jail canteen. We can think of providing fast food, but it would be same for all.”
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