WASHINGTON, Aug 25: A North American human rights group has claimed that Sikh convict Manjit Singh was forced in Kot Lakhpat jail, Lahore, to convert to Islam. Manjit Singh, who Pakistan says is a RAW agent and was involved in bombing civilian targets, is awaiting his death sentence at Kot Lakhpat. His family, however, claims that it is a case of mistaken identity as Manjit’s real name is Sarbjit Singh and he is not a RAW agent.

Sheetal Das Kaler, secretary of the South Asian Human Rights Group, Canada chapter, who met Singh in August 2003, told reporters that the attitude of jail authorities compelled the prisoner to embrace Islam so that he could come out of his cell to offer Namaz five times a day.

Mr Kaler claimed that Singh was meted out third degree torture and had tuberculosis. Mr Kaler claimed depositing Rs2,000 with the jail superintendent for providing medicines to the inmate. He said Singh’s health worsened as he was lodged in a solitary cell for more than six years.