A 31-year-old undertrial lodged in Ludhiana Central Jail, Tajpur Road, died under mysterious circumstances on Monday morning. The issue has hogged limelight now as the deceased’s family alleged custodial torture, a charge rubbished by jail authorities who attributed the death to medical complications.
Facing a rape case, the deceased, identified as Jatinder of Basti Jodhewal, had been in judicial custody for the past six months. His family members claimed that he was subjected to physical abuse after he allegedly attempted to escape from custody nearly two weeks ago.
Harpreet Kaur, victim’s wife, said she received a call from jail officials in the early hours of April 13, informing her that Jatinder had been shifted to a hospital due to illness. “Upon reaching there, I was told that he had been brought dead,” she said.
Alleging foul play, Harpreet claimed that injury marks were visible on his body. “I am certain he was tortured in custody. I have photographs of the injuries. He was not given proper food and medical treatment. He had no prior health issues,” she alleged.
She further claimed that Jatinder had earlier informed the family about an alleged attempt by fellow inmates to strangulate him, which had affected his voice. “He was being targeted inside the jail,” she added.
Jatinder’s sister Rekha said the rape case against him was fabricated. She linked his death to an alleged extortion attempt. “Those who got a false rape case registered against him were pressuring us to pay them ₹10 lakh for a compromise. They may be behind his death,” she said.
Rubbishing the allegations, Balbir Singh, deputy superintendent of Ludhiana Central Jail, said a postmortem examination report had already ruled out any foul play. Jatinder had previously staged an attempt to hang himself inside the jail and claimed to have lost his voice, following which he was taken to civil hospital, he said.
“At the hospital, he suddenly started speaking, which made it clear that the incident was staged. While being brought back, he fled but was apprehended after a brief chase,” Singh said, adding that the act was part of an escape attempt.
He further stated that after the incident, Jatinder was kept under strict surveillance along with other inmates. “Around 4.30 am on April 13, he complained of uneasiness and suffered fits. He was given first aid at the jail hospital and referred to the civil hospital but died on the way,” Singh said.
The official maintained that there was no foul play. A post-mortem examination has been conducted, and the body has been handed over to the family. According to standard practice, a judicial inquiry into the incident is underway, he added.
