News Desk |
A former senior official of the University of Sargodha, under investigation in a corruption case, died of cardiac arrest in jail while his handcuffed body was discovered at Lahore’s Services Hospital. According to the prison officials, Mian Javed was being held at the Camp Jail, Lahore, where he suffered cardiac arrest, he was shifted to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The image of chained deceased body shocked social media users who criticized the mistreatment and disrespect at the hands of the authorities. The postmortem has already been completed; the report says that no signs of torture on the body were found and cardiac arrest had caused the death.
Case against the Deceased
Mian Javed, former CEO of Sargodha University’s Lahore sub-campus was under judicial remand for allegedly setting up illegal sub-campuses of varsity and receiving bribes worth millions. He had been transferred to Camp Jail after being arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
“A person’s death under custody is a grave matter,” the chairman said. He ordered that details regarding the imprisonment and the ongoing case, along with his health records be provided at the earliest.
After protests by students, the chief justice of Pakistan had taken a suo motu of the matter and directed NAB to investigate it. The bureau then filed a reference against former Sargodha University vice chancellor and five others, including Javed, for illegally opening sub-campuses in Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin and embezzling millions of rupees.
In October, they were sent to jail on judicial remand by an accountability court in Lahore. On Thursday, Dec 20 the NAB obtained an extension in the judicial remand until January 2 for Javed and four other professors arrested in the same case.
Senate Committee takes Notice
Senate Standing Committee for Human Rights Chairman Mustafa Nawaz took notice of Mr. Javed’s death and summoned the NAB director general and the IG Prisons Punjab in person at the committee’s next meeting.
Read more: Sargodha University illegal campuses: AC sends suspects to Jail
“A person’s death under custody is a grave matter,” the chairman said. He ordered that details regarding the imprisonment and the ongoing case, along with his health records be provided at the earliest.
NAB Statement
Following the death of the official, spokesperson of NAB said that Javed was sent to jail on judicial remand by accountability court in October and was in good health at the time he was handed over to jail authorities from Lahore NAB.
After almost months in jail, On Friday Mr. Javed complained about chest pain on which officials at Camp Jail shifted him to services hospital where he was declared dead. Spokesperson NAB denied the perception that suspect had died under NAB’s custody.
The body being chained is a condemnable act but blaming NAB of torture and death is nothing more than maligning the credibility of the anti-graft body.
The anti-graft body has also issued a statement today (Saturday) saying NAB had no role in the death of Mian Javed. “We reject media reports,” read statement, “propaganda against NAB is being spread to damage its credibility.” It also said that Chairman NAB had given strict orders for not handcuffing any suspect.
Soon after the picture of Mian Javed got viral, social media reacted strongly over the chaining by officials.
Shame on those who killed this man, a Vice Chancellor, in the name of accountability. Shame on a system that has lost all sense of balance. This is one of saddest pictures that I have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/GJrfcuVMHY
— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) December 21, 2018
Were the allegations proven? Strange that he wasn't presented to court if this was so.
Also, does it mean that his killing by torture in custody was somehow OK in case the charges were proven?— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) December 22, 2018
Death in custody/handcuffs meritthorough inquiry but the deceased was part of racquet that was running illegal campuses/ defrauded 1000sof innocent students. University of Sargodha syndicate approved/initiated cases against him, he had been threatening VC from lock up as well
— Imtiaz Gul (@ImtiazGul60) December 21, 2018
NAB has been under the radar by media groups inclined to the opposition parties in parliament. Evident from the social media, they were quick to claim that Mr. Javed died under NAB’s custody and so much so was apparently tortured to death.
Read more: Illegal recruitments scam: NAB Arrests ex-PU VC, five registers
The body being chained is a condemnable act but blaming NAB of torture and death is nothing more than maligning the credibility of the anti-graft body. Neither was deceased under NAB’s custody nor was he tortured to death. But the Tweets of so-called analysts reaffirmed the propaganda being carried out against NAB.