A 68-year-old British national who was lodged in the sub-jail in Poonamallee died due to ill health on Wednesday, said prison sources.
The victim, David Antony, was arrested by the Dharmapuri district police on December 5. He was working as a professor in Bengaluru and later landed up in Dharampuri district. He was found to be overstaying in the country.
He was brought to the city and lodged in the sub-jail in Poonamallee, where remand prisoners are quarantined before being lodged in the Central Prison in Puzhal, a special prison for foreigners. He was later taken out by the Dharmapuri police, for a couple of days, for custodial interrogation. After completing the custodial interrogation, he was lodged again in the prison. Four more remand prisoners were lodged in the cell with him.
On Wednesday morning, he fainted in the cell, and prison staff rushed him to the Government Hospital, Poonamallee, where doctors declared him brought dead. The Poonamallee police registered a case in connection with the death due to unnatural circumstances and further investigation is on.
