AMRITSAR: Yet another case of the death of an under trial prisoner in mysterious circumstances at the high security jail here has come to light.
According to reliable sources, Charan Singh, 35 of Hoidal village: of Lokope village was charged under sectidi 302 of the Indian penal code and the Terrorist and Disruptive Practices Act.
He died in Sri Guru Tegh Bhadur Hospital on July 19. He was shifted to the emergency ward a day earlier on the advice of the medical officer of the jail following sudden deterioration in his health.
The deputy commissioner Sarabjit Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of the prisoner. A executive magistrate Harbhupinder Singh will conduct the probe and submit his report in the next few weeks,
The jail superintendent Rajinder Singh who brought the case to the notice of the deputy commissioner with a request to hold an enquiry into the incident pleaded ignorance when contacted by the press,
This is the second case of mysterious death of an under trial in the jail within the last two months.
In the earlier incident a 25 year old was facing charges of murder. He died on June 3 in the emergency ward of a hospital.
Enquiries revealed that the functioning of the jail, part of which was converted into high security jail, have been under a cloud as there are allegations of ill-treatment meted out on the prisoners.at the hands of the jail staff.
District and the jail authorities have been receiving complaints from prisoners themselves about a torture chamber and poor living conditions. Sources disclosed that the jail is overcrowded with over 8,000 prisoners whereas the planned capacity was k840.
Amongst the under trials are fifteen odd Pakistani nationals charged with crossing the border. Complaints about substandard food and lack of medical care are plenty. As the strength of the staff is not proportionate to the prisoners the authorities say they are helpless.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 4, 1989
