HC moved for probe into jail inmate's 'murder'

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a probe into the recent murder of a prisoner allegedly by a fellow inmate in the Central Prison here.
When the petition by the widow of Senthil came up for hearing, Justice V S Ravi directed the prison officials to produce the case diary, the post mortem report and other relevant documents in the court on March 14.
Raising doubts over police's claim that her husband, a murder accused, was mentally ill and was killed by the fellow prisoner, Thirukammal sought a probe by a judge or competent officers, in order to unravel the truth.

Contending that her husband was a normal person, she said during the remand, they did not inform the judicial magistrate that he was mentally ill.
On February 24, the prison authorities informed her at 1.50 am that her husband was in a serious condition, and soon after, they called her and said he had died on the way to hospital.
The authorities who were bound to safeguard the lives of the prisoners did not even permit her to see the body of her husband at the hospital before the post mortem, she alleged.

No reason was given for the death, raising strong suspicion about the cause, the petitioner said.

She contended that in order to cover up the issue they had projected her husband as mentally ill and was murdered by another mentally ill person.
Unless an inquiry was ordered into the incident, the truth would remain unknown, she said and prayed before the court to direct the officials for the same.