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The father of a 19-year-old undertrial prisoner, who died at a hospital in New Delhi last week, on Wednesday alleged that his son was 'killed' in jail and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry into the matter.
The jail authorities have, however, said 'the death seems to be due to natural causes'.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mohammad Yakub, a rickshaw-puller, said the police arrested his son Jishan for allegedly 'stealing a cigarette packet from a shop'.
"He was lodged in Tihar Jail for three months. In between, we met Jishan twice, but he did not tell anything to us. On February 15, we received a call that 'our son was serious'. When we reached the hospital, we saw that Jishan was dead. He was killed (in the jail). We demand a CBI enquiry. Justice should be delivery to my son," he said.
Jan Hastakshep, a civil rights organisation, which arranged the press conference, said that a case against Jishan, a resident of east Delhi, was registered on November 19, 2021 under sections 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment up to five years) and 380 (theft in dwelling, house, etc with provision of imprisonment extending up to 7 years) of the Indian Penal Code.
'On February 15, Jishan's parents received a call from Hari Nagar police station informing them that their son was unwell and had been admitted in DDU Hospital,' it said.
'Upon reaching the hospital, they were informed that their son was dead and they were shown his body. The body had severe injury marks all over which suggested he had been brutally assaulted physically rather than having suffered some illness as they were being told,' it said.
The presence of injury marks all over the body rules out the possibility of the injuries being accidental or self-inflicted, it stated.
In its statement, Jan Hastakshep also demanded that the jail superintendent of Central Jail No. 5 should be immediately suspended for having 'failed' to uphold the safety of the prisoner under his watch.
An inquest proceeding should be immediately initiated in the matter under the watch of National Human Rights Commission, it demanded.
According to a senior jail official, Jishan was lodged in Central Jail No. 5 on November 19 last year.
He was referred to the DDU Hospital on February 12 after he complained of chest pain, headache, itching over the body and discoloration around the eyes.
At the DDU Hospital, his ultrasound and X-ray were done which were 'normal'.
He was sent back to jail with advised medication, the official said.
Jail officials also said that on February 14, the inmate was brought to the jail's medical room with a complaint of chest pain and purpuric spots over his body.
He was again referred to the DDU Hospital, and, later during treatment, he died on February 15 at 1.10 am apparently due to cardio-pulmonary shock and a low platelet count of 6,000, they said.
Information about his death was received in the morning and his family and all concerned authorities were informed, they said.
"The death seems to be due to natural causes," one of the officials added.
Post-mortem of the body has been conducted and a probe is being conducted by the metropolitan magistrate, the officials added.