Undertrial found dead in prison, probe ordered

AGRA

: A 22-year-old man, who was arrested on drug peddling charges, was found hanging from a bed sheet of a hospital ward in Aligarh prison on late Friday night, prompting administration to order a magisterial probe to clear the air on the death, which the 22-year-old man’s family claimed was “suspicious”.

Mohammad Furkan Khan, a resident of Johra Bagh area of Aligarh, was booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, (NDPS) and arrested on Thursday. On late Friday night, he complained of stomach ache and was admitted to prison hospital.

However, later, he was found hanging outside the ward of the hospital where he was admitted.

While police claimed that Khan had committed suicide, his family alleged “conspiracy”, pointing out that he died in the presence of a policeman, who had taken him to the hospital. The family held a protest and refused to take the custody of the body of the deceased. They relented after jail authorities promised a thorough probe into the circumstances leading to Khan’s death.

Aligarh district magistrate CB Singh later ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. He told TOI that the inquiry will examine the allegations leveled by Khan’s family.

“City magistrate Sachin Kumar Singh will conduct the inquiry and submit report within 15 days,” he said. Singh said that the body has been sent for post-mortem examination and the whole process is being video graphed. When contacted, the family members of the deceased said that the death was “suspicious”.

“My brother, a battery rickshaw driver, was arrested by Kawarsi police on Thursday under NDPS Act and was later sent to Aligarh jail. On Friday night, we got a call from the prison saying that he was dead,” said Salim Khan, brother of the deceased.