LAHORE- Provincial Ombudsman on Saturday released a man charged with minor offence for which he spent more than three years in mental ward of Camp Jail. Complainant of the case surrendered his criminal FIR against under trial prisoner Afzal of Mental Ward Barrack of jail on humanitarian grounds upon a suo moto notice taken by the Provincial Ombudsman Punjab Khalid Mehmood. According to details, prisoner Afzal at Camp jail, Lahore had written a letter to one columnist of a local newspaper, and letter was published on July 20, 2010. Muhammad Afzal, a resident of Faisalabad was sent to jail on May 12, 2007 upon registration of an FIR of physical torture against him where ward barrack in-charge took Afzal to jail doctor and requested for transferring him to mental barrack in reaction of his complaining about mishandling and torture of jail officials during weekly visit of Jail Superintendent. Consequently, he had been detained in block 18 (8x6 area) of District Jail Faisalabad. Physiatrist doctor Nasir Baig of Faisalabad hospital declared him as normal and transferred him to normal barrack. Later on, during another weekly visit of Jail Superintendent, prisoner demanded lawyer and copy of FIR. But in evening, Ward Barrack in-charge, took him out of barrack with the help of two other prisoners and tortured him badly there. Next day, again he was taken to jail doctor and transferred to mental ward subsequently. Later on, he was transferred to Camp jail, Lahore for treatment. From there he wrote a letter which was published in newspapers. Provincial Ombudsman Punjab took suo moto upon the publication of prisoners letter in newspapers and constituted a team to interview the prisoner. Team submitted report to Ombudsman after having meetings with prisoner, jail officials and doctors. As per inquiry report, Provincial Ombudsman directed to help prisoner for getting him bail out and release from the mental barrack. Inquiry team met with petitioner of the FIR and pursued him to withdraw the cases on humanitarian basis. On persuasion of team, petitioner of FIR submitted application in the concerned court of law that he does not want to pursue his case against under trail prisoner Muhammad Afzal and he may be released on bail. Concerned court of law accepted the bail application and ordered to release the prisoner. Afterward, said prisoner was released from jail.