A professor of University of Sargodha (UoS), Mohammad Javed, who was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in October in connection with 'opening illegal campuses and minting millions from students', reportedly died in judicial custody in Lahore District Jail on Friday.
According to the Lahore District Jail authorities, the incarcerated professor experienced a cardiac arrest and was rushed to Services Hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
On Thursday, in the ongoing illegal campuses case, the accountability bureau obtained an extension in the judicial remand until January 2 for Javed and four other professors arrested in the same case.
The university's former registrar retired Brig Rao Jamil, Lahore sub-campus’ former CEO Mian Javed, Mandi Bahauddin sub-campus CEO Waris and his partner Naeem, and former director of administration Akram were the other suspects arrested by NAB.
The suspects had purportedly made millions by opening illegal campuses in Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin.
The NAB alleged that hundreds of students who studied at the illegal campuses of the university were charged millions of rupees. However, neither were examinations conducted nor were the students issued degrees. The affected students have time and again staged protests against the university administration.
NAB issues clarification
Following the professor's death, NAB's Lahore branch issued a statement of clarification, asserting that the suspect had been in judicial remand since October and that his good health had been verified by jail authorities before he was taken into custody by them.
"The deceased had been shifted to jail in good health," the statement said adding that the professor had been taken to Services Hospital today "after he experienced chest pains".
"According to regulations, jail authorities do not take custody of a suspect if his health deteriorates," NAB said in its statement.
The accountability bureau strongly condemned the view that the professor passed away in NAB's custody and expressed grief over his passing.
