Puri: The suspicious death of an undertrial prisoner (UTP) at the District Jail in Bangar under Ramachandi police limits here has sparked controversy as his family members termed it as ‘murder in custody following unspeakable torture’.
The deceased, identified as Dipti Ranjan Swain, 28, of Sakhigopal, was found hanging inside a prison toilet at approximately 12 noon Sunday.
Prison staffers reportedly rushed him to the jail hospital and subsequently to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where doctors declared him dead.
Terming it as suicide, Jail Superintendent Sanjay Verma said, “The inmate used a rope to hang himself inside the toilet. The entire sequence of events has been captured on CCTV.”
However, the family has vehemently rejected this version. Dipti’s mother, Kalika Swain, revealed that her son had spoken to his sister at 10:30 am, just 90 minutes before the incident, and appeared to be in good spirits, discussing his upcoming bail hearing April 18.
“He was completely healthy and hopeful about his release.
Why would he kill himself two hours after talking to us?” a family member questioned during a protest at the hospital.
The DHH remained tense after Dipti’s family members staged a protest against the jail authorities, demanding stringent action against those responsible for his death.
Worth mentioning that Dipti had been lodged in jail for the last three years as an undertrial in connection with a rape case following the last Panchayat elections.
