Five Tihar Jail Prisoners Die In 8 Days, Magisterial Probe Ordered

Picture courtesy Live Law

New Delhi: As many as five prisoners have died in the last eight days at the high-security Tihar Jail.

A magisterial inquiry under Section 176 of the CrPC has been initiated, despite all the fatalities appearing to be from natural causes, a Delhi Police official said on Saturday.

DG (Prisons) Sandeeep Goyal told IANS that deaths of these prisoners were reported in different jails with none related to ‘any kind of violence’.

“In all these deaths, circumstances indicate natural causes like old disease or other unknown reason,” Goyal said. But as per rules, inquest proceedings will be conducted by Metropolitan Magistrate in each case, he added.

The fifth inmate to lose his life, identified as Vikram alias Vicky, was reported from Tihar jail No. 3 on Friday. The prisoner was found unconscious in his cell and immediately rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.