Undertrial dies in Mandi jail, inquiry initiated

An undertrial was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a sub-jail here Friday, police said.

An inquiry by a Judicial Magistrate has been initiated in this regard as the matter is related to custodial death, they said.

Dharam Pal was lodged in the Mandi jail Wednesday after his arrest Tuesday in connection with a case registered under Section 20 (Cannabis) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The jail administration has apprised higher authorities regarding the incident.

It is yet to be ascertained whether it was a natural death or he died on account of any violence or injury or due to negligence of jail staff, Mandi Superintendent of Police (SP) Gurdev Sharma said.

However, Pal's family members alleged negligence on the part of jail authorities for his death and demanded high-level inquiry into his death.

Appropriate action will be taken after the submission of inquiry report of the Judicial Magistrate, Sharma said, adding that the body of the deceased was handed over to his family after autopsy.

The autopsy was conducted at the Lal Bhadur Shastri Medical College Mandi and the report is still awaited, the SP added.

As per the existing guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the autopsy was video recorded.