Ranchi: A 30-year-old inmate died in Ranchi's Hotwar Jail on Friday morning allegedly due to TB, anemia and malnutrition after undergoing treatment for 10 days, prison management officials said.
Sita Kumari, who was lodged in the jail for the last few months, was undergoing treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), state's largest government hospital.
According to prison sources, Sita's health deteriorated recently and was examined by the doctors of the jail management. On July 10, doctors referred her to RIMS. She was treated in the hospital's emergency unit for two days. After which, she was shifted to the prisoner ward under the supervision of Dr Vidyapati.
A magistrate has been appointed for her postmortem, officials said. Sita's death has raised questions on the prison management as it is being said that malnutrition caused her death. The quality and quantity of food that was served to her has also come under the scanner. The management of Hotwar Jail has maintained silence on the matter.
An official of the prison said that the woman was suffering from many other diseases for which she was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. The actual cause of death can be ascertained by the postmortem report, said a senior official of the state government. If it is found that the death was caused due to negligence of prison management then further action will be taken, he added.
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The incident comes a week after an under-trial prisoner of Birsa Munda Central Jail attempted suicide by slitting his throat with a barber's shaving knife. He was rushed to RIMS in a critical condition. He was arrested a fortnight back in connection with brown sugar trade.
