NHRC to probe UTP death

BHUBANESWAR:  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered a probe into the alleged death of an under-trial prisoner (UTP) Arabinda Mallick in the Alipingal sub-jail under Jagatsinghpur district in March. The Director General (Investigation) of the Commission has been asked to conduct the enquiry and collect the facts and submit a report within eight weeks. The Commission had earlier asked the Jagatsinghpur district administration to enquire into the suspicious death of the UTP. The Collector had submitted a report on the death. Clubbing the report with two other petitions filed by Akhand of the India Media Centre, Pipili, and one Siba Shankar Patro of Ganjam, the NHRC directed an inquiry by its DG( Investigation). As per case records, Arabinda, an UTP in the sub-jail, was found in a seriously- injured condition on the premises and died on the way to hospital. He had been lodged in the jail since December last year on charges of involvement in a number of criminal cases. According to the complaint of Akhand, Arabinda was found dead under mysterious circumstances inside the lavatory of the jail on March 2. He was taken to the Jagatsinghpur district headquarters hospital where he was declared brought- dead. The manner in which his body was taken with handcuffs on was sheer violation of human rights, it was alleged. The petitioners have alleged that Arabinda had died of torture inside the jail or due to gang war between the prisoners. In either case, there was clear negligence on part of the jail officials. The jail authorities have, however, stated that the prisoner had died due to a fall while attempting jailbreak by scaling the wall.