KARACHI: A sessions court sent on Friday a reference to the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the superintendent of central prison and two other officials over death of an under-trial prisoner (UTP).

The district and sessions judge (east) sent a reference to the SHC chief justice through a member inspection team (MIT) for legal action against the superintendent of central prison, an assistant superintendent and a medical officer posted at the jail hospital.

They have been accused of not providing proper treatment to wounded UTP Siraj Ahmed Khan at the jail hospital and shifting him to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre after an inordinate delay. They neither submitted a progress report regarding his health nor informed the court about his death.

On the high court directive, the district and sessions judge along with other judges visited the prisons on Sept 25 to hear and dispose of the applications of undertrial prisoner before the Eid.

When they visited the jail hospital, located on the premises of central prison, Siraj was under treatment there and he complained to the judges that his health was deteriorating due to lack of proper treatment.

The district judge had directed the jail authorities to immediately shift him to the JMPC and sought compliance report as well as progress report about his health. The UTP died on Sept 5, but the jail officials had not submitted the compliance report.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2017