M A I N   N E W S

Man dies in jail; inmates on rampage
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, May 26 — The death of a convict, allegedly due to cardiac arrest, drove infuriated inmates to create chaos in the local Central Jail complex last night as they did not allow the authorities to remove the body for 13 hours. The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Deceased Dalip Singh, a resident of the Mithu Basti locality and six members of his family were sent to the jail by the Additional Sessions Judge on May 22 to serve a 20 years’ imprisonment in connection with death of Dalip Singh’s wife.

Interestingly, it is the second death in the jail premises within two weeks as Rajinder Kumar had died also allegedly due to heart failure.

Scores of inmates went on a rampage in the jail premises at about 9 p.m. last night when Dalip Singh died after complaining of pain in the chest. They broke furniture of the jail and raised slogans against the jail authorities and alleged that the death was an outcome of delay on the part of the jail doctor in attending ailing Dalip Singh. They alleged that though Dalip Singh had complained of severe pain at around 8 p.m., no medical aid was given to him in time resulting in his death at around 8.30 p.m.

Residents of Mithu Basti disrupted traffic on the Jail Road by organising a dharna in front of the jail. Residents of surrounding areas also converged at the spot in large numbers. They lifted dharna only when Deputy Commissioner Som Parkash ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Later the body was shifted to the local Civil Hospital where a post-mortem was conducted.

Mr Som Parkash, Deputy Commissioner, said the inquiry had been entrusted to Mr Viney Bublani, SDM.