Two convicts, including a life-term convict, were found dead under mysterious circumstances at Tihar Jail on Thursday morning. The Head Warder of the jail has been suspended and a judicial inquiry has been initiated into the matter.
The deceased have been identified as Ritesh Mittal alias Shalu (32) and Amit alias Panda (26). Jail officials suspect that the two died of drug overdose.
“Prima facie, it appears that the two inmates died after consuming some drug smuggled into the prison. The exact cause behind their death will be ascertained after post-mortem,” a jail official said.
Both of them were lodged in ward number two at jail number 8-9 of the prison complex. Ritesh was undergoing life imprisonment in a murder case and had spent 11 years in jail. Amit was convicted in an attempt to murder case.
According to insiders, the men were inhaling some drug at night. Their condition started deteriorating by morning.
“Jail doctors tried to revive them, but realising that they need institutional care, they were sent to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital where they died around 9:30 a.m.,” said Tihar DIG and spokesperson Mukesh Prasad.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and investigation is on.
The police will also investigate as to how the drug was smuggled into the prison.
The incident reported just days after an undertrial was stabbed to death has again raised questions about the security inside the Asia’s largest prison complex.
Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain has summoned the jail authorities in connection with the incident and directed them to submit a detailed report. The Minister expressed concern over the security of inmates inside Tihar Jail.
“A committee to be headed by G Sudhakar (secretary to the minister), who has previously served as DIG Prisons, will review the security arrangements inside Tihar Jail, and will submit its report to Mr. Jain within a week,” a statement from the Delhi Government said.
“The Minister has directed officials to expedite the completion of Mandoli Jail in East Delhi to ensure quick de-congestion of Tihar Jail, which has been repeatedly cited as one of the main reasons behind the problems inside this prison,” the statement added.
