WB: Undertrial prisoner dies inside cell, kin cries 'murder'

An undertrial prisoner died in West Bengal's Nadia district, police said on Thursday, following which family members and neighbours protested alleging foul play.

Kalyani (WB): A 33-year-old under-trial prisoner lodged in Kalyani subdivision jail in Nadia district of West Bengal was found dead inside his cell on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Bosu Das, a resident of Kalyani Majherchar area of the district. He was arrested a few days ago in connection with a burglary in Kalyani town.

According to Kalyani subdivision jail authorities, Das died due to illness. The undertrial prisoner was on Tuesday found unconscious in his cell at a sub-jail correctional home here and rushed to state-run JNM Hospital here, where he was declared brought dead by the doctors.

However, the family of the deceased alleged that the police and jail officials were hiding the "actual incident". Agitated family members and neighbours demonstrated before the Kalyani Police Station, SDO Office, Hospital morgue and the jail on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He was produced in Kalyani Sub-divisional court and remanded to police custody for four days. Subsequently, he was sent to Kalyani sub-jail correctional home, officials said.

Das was again produced in Kalyani court on Monday. His family members said, they had met him in the court premises on that day and he looked fine.

According to the police, Bosu had collapsed in his cell on Tuesday.

Ranaghat Superintendent of Police VSR Ananthnag said, "I can comment on it only after receiving the autopsy report."

The post-mortem examination was conducted in the presence of three doctors on Wednesday, JNM Hospital superintendent Abhijit Mukherjee said.

The victim's elder brother Basu Das said, "When we spoke to him on Monday, he was fine. But the following day, we were informed that he was dead.

"While he died around 6.30 am, we were informed at 1 pm. We suspect that both the police and jail authorities are hiding the actual incident from us. We will fight to get justice."

(with inputs from PTI)