Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh who was killed in Pakistan jail, passes away at 67

Dalbir Kaur (Source: Shutterstock)

Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh who succumbed to injuries after being brutally beaten by inmates in a Pakistan jail in 2013, passed away on June 26. She was 67.

Dalbir Kaur had hit the headlines when she led a vociferous campaign for the release of her brother from the Pakistan jail, where he had been lodged since 1991 after being accused of being involved in a string of bomb blasts in that country's Punjab province.

According to her family, Kaur had complained of severe chest pain on Saturday night and was taken to a private hospital here where she died. Poonam, daughter of Sarabjit Singh, said that Dalbir was already suffering from lung infection for the past one year.

The moment she was admitted in the hospital the doctors described her condition as critical and she was shifted to the ICU, where after a few minutes she was put on a ventilator. Poonam said that Dalbir Kaur was declared dead by the hospital after a few hours.

She said that Dalbir's last rites will be performed in the afternoon in Bhikhiwind, her native town in Tarn Taran district. Sarabjit Singh, 49, had died six days after an attack on him in Lahore prison by the inmates in April 2013. He was attacked by bricks and other sharp objects and had suffered injuries in his back and head and had gone into coma.

He was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and was sentenced to death in 1991. However, the Pakistani government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008. After his death, Sarabjit's body was brought from Lahore to Amritsar where his last rites were held.

Several years ago, Dalbir Kaur, had raised her voice at different forums in a bid to get her brother out of prison. She had also visited the Kot Lakhpat Rai Jail in Lahore twice along with her family members, including two daughters and wife of Sarbjit Singh, to enquire about his wellbeing.

The life of Sarabjit Singh was also subject of a biopic, which was released in 2016. In the movie, the role of Dalbir Kaur was portrayed by actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.