A prisoner serving a sentence under the POCSO Act at the District Correctional Home in Dharamshala died under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday evening, prompting an official investigation into the incident.
The deceased has been identified as Vivek Kumar (25), son of Jagdish Chand and a resident of Khanyara, Dharamshala. According to jail authorities, the incident took place at around 5:35 PM inside the prison premises.
Preliminary information and CCTV footage reportedly show Vivek Kumar collapsing shortly after touching the iron gate of his cell. Fellow inmates immediately alerted prison staff, who rushed him to Dharamshala Hospital in an unconscious condition. Owing to his critical condition, he was later referred to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, where doctors declared him dead.
Vivek Kumar had been lodged in the correctional home since 2023 in connection with a POCSO case and was serving a seven-year sentence.
Confirming the incident, Jail Superintendent Vikas Bhatnagar said preliminary findings indicate a possible case of electrocution, though the exact cause of death is yet to be established. тАЬA detailed investigation is underway and all aspects of the case are being examined,тАЭ he said.
Meanwhile, the deceasedтАЩs father has raised serious allegations regarding the circumstances surrounding the death. Jagdish Chand submitted a complaint to the Superintendent of Police, expressing suspicion of foul play inside the jail premises. Rejecting the jail administrationтАЩs version of an accidental death, he alleged that his son may have been assaulted by one or more individuals inside the correctional facility.
Reacting to the incident, BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma expressed deep sorrow over the death and demanded an impartial and time-bound judicial inquiry. He said the death of any person in police or judicial custody is a serious matter and that transparency is essential to ensure justice for the victimтАЩs family.
Sharma stated that if a judicial inquiry has already been initiated, it should be conducted fairly and its findings should be made public. He also urged the state government to disclose all facts related to the case and take strict action if negligence is found at any level.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved family, Sudhir Sharma prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength for the family in this difficult time.
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