Undertrial prisoner dies of cardiac arrest in Jammu

A 40-year-old undertrial prisoner, arrested in a drug case over three months ago, died of cardiac arrest at a jail here, officials said on Tuesday.

Parveen Kumar Sharma, a resident of Bakshi Nagar, suddenly fell unconscious inside his barrack at Amphalla district jail on Monday evening and was rushed to Government Medical College Hospital, the officials said.

They said the prisoner was declared brought dead by the doctors. Sharma, a heart patient, was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in July and was lodged in Amphalla jail since then, the officials said.

Earlier in the day, he was taken to the GMC Hospital for necessary checkup and his ECG report was normal, the officials said, adding he had returned to the jail around 1 pm and watched a cricket match among the inmates before returning to his barrack.

The body of the deceased was handed over to his family after completion of legal formalities, the officials said.