A judicial probe has been initiated into the death of an inmate lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail, who died during treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) on Saturday night. The deceased, identified as Lovepreet Singh, had been in jail for nearly two-and-a-half years.
Family members of the deceased accused the jail authorities of negligence and alleged that Lovepreet was denied proper medical care despite being unwell for over a month. They also raised allegations of drug abuse inside the jail premises.
Rakesh Kumar, SHO, Majitha Road police station, said on Monday that a judicial inquiry had been initiated as per protocol in custodial death cases. He added that the body was handed over to the family after a postmortem conducted in the presence of a judicial magistrate.
“Initially, the family was reluctant to allow the postmortem and wanted to take the body home. However, they were informed that in such cases, a judicial probe and autopsy by a medical board are mandatory,” said the SHO.
He said the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after the postmortem report is received.
According to the police, Lovepreet Singh had been arrested under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Jail authorities shifted him to GNDH after he reportedly complained of breathing difficulties.
The inmate died during treatment late Saturday night, triggering allegations against the jail administration. Family members claimed that Lovepreet’s condition had deteriorated due to alleged drug abuse inside the jail. They further alleged that marks resembling injection wounds were found on his arm and held the jail authorities responsible for his death.
The family has demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the inmate’s death.
