SARGODHA, Sept 2: A 500-rupee note recovered from the pocket of under-trial prisoner Ashraf Ali ultimately led to his death from torture and subsequent riots in the overcrowded district jail here on Thursday, inquiries by this correspondent revealed.

Ashraf's wife Musarrat Bibi who came to see him in the morning told Dawn that she gave her husband a note of Rs500 for bribing some jail staff "because this is the only way to live in peace in jail."

She said when Ashraf was about to return to his barrack, he was searched by a jail official who questioned the availability of currency in his pocket (keeping currency under the jail laws is illegal). When Ashraf told him that it was meant for meeting the demands of his lower staff, Mussarat said the official took him inside where he was tortured.

The widow's claim was confirmed to some extent by District Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon who told a news conference that the deceased was searched by jail authorities. "Upon the recovery of currency a scuffle took place during which Ashraf suffered heart attack. He was taken to a hospital where he breathed his last."

WIDOW: Musarrat said her husband had been murdered on the instigation of his opponents. She told Dawn that Ashraf Ali was implicated in a forgery case and arrested by Satellite Town police for selling cars with forged registration numbers.

"He was innocent and was jailed on the instigation of influential people." Musarrat said when she learnt about the death of Ashraf, she approached the district and sessions judge who asked the Cantonment police to register a murder case against jail superintendent Naveed Rauf and some other staffers.

Police, she said, registered the case in the evening. On the order the D&SJ, judicial magistrate Hafiq Tariq reportedly started an inquiry about 3pm but rioting started at 5pm.

TROUBLE: Panic erupted inside the jail when Ashraf Ali died at 10am allegedly due to severe torture. Other prisoners took his body in their possession and demanded suspension and arrest of entire jail staff.

DPO who led a large contingent of police to the jail informed the protesters to calm down as a case had been registered against the guilty staff. But they were not convinced and demanded arrest of the entire jail staff.

As police tried to take possession of the body, clashes erupted. Protesters broke open the locks of some barracks so that could grow in number. By holding three jail staffers hostage, they took took refuge inside the jail mosque and switched off electricity.

Police took positions on the jail walls and used search lights for gas shelling which was so intense that those present several hundred meters away from the jail could not breathe properly.

The prisoners reportedly handed over Ashraf's body to police at 9.30pm after which shelling and firing halted and talks began for hostages' return. The district Nazim who talked to newsmen at 10pm was not aware of the number of casualties. He said the deceased Ashraf, 55, belonged to Bhalwal.

Noon said there were 1,843 men and 33 women with eight children in the jail which otherwise had a capacity of 600 prisoners. Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Abdul Sattar Ajiz also reached here at midnight.