Puri: A woman under-trial prisoner was found dead under mysterious circumstances inside her ward at Nimapada sub-jail in Odisha’s Puri district on Monday evening.
The deceased has been identified as Madhusmita Baral, a native of Sadangei village under Delang police limits in the district. She was lodged in jail since December 6, 2025, and was facing trial for the alleged murder of her minor daughter.
According to sources, Madhusmita had lunch and was sitting in the ward veranda with other inmates and a female warder at around 2.30 pm. She went inside the ward and was later found hanging from the ceiling fan of her cell. Jail staff rushed her to the Community Health Centre at Charichhak, where doctors declared her dead upon arrival.
“She said she needed to go to the toilet and left. When she didn’t return for about 15 to 20 minutes, the female warder grew suspicious and went to look for her. While searching the rooms in the female ward, she found her hanging from a ceiling fan with a saree,” jail Superintendent Sushant Kumar Rout told the media.
She was sent to the hospital in the jail ambulance. “After examining her at around 3.45 pm, the doctors declared her dead. An FIR has been registered at Nimapada police station,” he added.
The body has been sent for postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, Madhusmita’s family members created ruckus at the hospital, alleging that it was not a case of suicide and she was murder. They have demanded a thorough and impartial investigation.
A probe is underway and further details are awaited.
