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Inmate facing NDPS charges dies in Punjab’s Goindwal jail
A 42-year-old man, who was facing the charges under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, has died during his incarceration in the Goindwal central jail, police said on Sunday.
A 42-year-old man, who was facing the charges under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, has died during his incarceration in the Goindwal central jail, police said on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Mohinderpal alias Mangu of Bhikhiwind village in Tarn Taran.
The jail’s suprintendent Iqbal Singh said the inmate was ill for last few days and rushed to Tarn Taran civil hospital after his condition deteriorated, but died on the way. “The deceased used to take medicine in the jail for treating his drug addiction,” he said.
However, Mangu’s family members have demanded a probe to ascertain the ‘exact’ reason of his death. They alleged that they have a suspicion that Mangu was given drug in the jail.
The family members also protested against the jail staff and refused to conduct Mangu’s post-mortem at the civil hospital. However, they were pacified by Tarn Taran police with a promise for conducting a fair probe into the matter and the post-mortem was conducted.
Mangu’s brother Gurpreet Singh said, “My brother had been working as a hairdresser in Bhikhiwind. Around four years ago, he was arrested by the local police for allegedly possessing 800 intoxicated pills. The bail applications from the lower courts to the Punjab and Haryana high court were rejected. He stayed in Amritsar central jail for at least three year. Around a year ago, he was shifted to the Goindwal jail.”
Gurpreet alleged that his brother used to said that drugs were being sold openly in the jail. “Mangu also used to said that he had been feeling unwell and he was not given good treatment in the prison. We came to know from the jail staff on Sunday morning that he has died,” he said. Mangu was married and a father of two daughters and a son.
