Jail suicide: Court defers post-mortem by 72 hours to trace family

The order was passed by judicial magistrate Karanbir Singh Batra following the death of the undertrial prisoner

A local court has directed that the post-mortem examination of an undertrial prisoner who died inside the Central Jail by suicide be postponed for 72 hours after authorities failed to trace any of his legal heirs.

The post-mortem will be conducted after the stipulated period or once the deceased’s family is traced, in accordance with legal procedures. (HT File)

The order was passed by judicial magistrate Karanbir Singh Batra following the death of the undertrial prisoner.

According to the assistant superintendent of Central Jail, the undertrial had been lodged in the prison since May 3, 2025, in connection with a criminal case related to illegally possessing property in Ludhiana’s Ashok Nagar area, registered at Division Number 5 police station. He died inside the jail at around 6.35 am on June 9.

As no family member or legal heir could be located, the court ordered that the post-mortem be deferred for 72 hours and directed the jail authorities to make efforts to trace his relatives.

The Central Jail administration has appealed to the public to come forward with any information regarding the deceased’s family. People having details about his legal heirs have been requested to contact the Central Jail, Ludhiana, at 0161-2660106.

The post-mortem will be conducted after the stipulated period or once the deceased’s family is traced, in accordance with legal procedures.