The State Human Rights Commission has ordered a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the family of a deceased convict, who had been found dead while lodged at the Viyyur Central Prison.
The order was issued by commission member K. Mohan Kumar in connection with the death of 42-year-old Asokan, who hailed from Poonkulam, Thiruvallam, on October 31, 2016, while he had been undergoing imprisonment for life.
Wounds on body
The commission expressed doubts regarding a report submitted by the jail superintendent that concluded that Asokan had committed suicide.
It took note of two complaints, submitted by two inmates of the Viyyur Central Prison, that claimed that Asokan had been murdered. The post-mortem examination report had stated that there had been wounds on both the ears and face, which could have been caused by the use of blunt weapons.
Besides, there were official documents of Asokan’s hospitalisation following a clash that had taken place on the jail premises around a month before his death. Besides, the jail superintendent had not specified the cause of the clash in his report.
The commission ordered that the next of kin of the deceased must be paid the compensation along with interest since his death within a period of three months.
He also directed the Director General of Police (Prisons) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
