Denied a puff of ‘beedi’, inmate killed friend in Ludhiana jail
Accused and the victim were arrested in a snatching case on May 30; victim slapped him after which he strangulated him, say police
Five days after the death of an undertrial in Ludhiana central jail, the jail officials claimed that an inmate strangulated him after they had a tiff over ‘beedi’.
On June 11, Parkash Chand, 18, was found dead in barrack number 4 of the jail. According to Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, deputy superintendent of Ludhiana central jail, Deepak Daliya, 18, confessed to have killed Chand after he refused to give him a puff of a beedi.
The division number 7 police have registered a case against Daliya under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Parkash Chand and Deepak Daliya were neighbours and were lodged in the jail in snatching case by division number 5 police on May 30.
Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal said they had initiated investigation on their own and found that Parkash Chand had a scuffle with Deepak Daliya on June 11. Upon interrogation by the police, Deepak Daliya revealed that he had a verbal spat with Parkash Chand in barrack number 4, where they were lodged, over a beedi. Parkash Chand had a beedi and Deepak Daliya asked him for a puff.
Parkash Chand allegedly slapped Deepak when he insisted. After a while, Deepak followed Parkash Chand to the washroom and pushed him. Parkash’s head smashed against the wall and a tap hit him in his neck, after which he lost his consciousness. Later, Deepak strangulated him to death and went back to his barrack, said jail officials.
“After the postmortem report suggested strangulation as the cause of death, we initiated investigations. Another inmate Varinder Kumar told us about the spat between Parkash Chand and Deepak. When questioned, Deepak confessed to the crime,” said the superintendent.
“After his confession, we wrote to the police to lodge a case of murder against him,” he added.
Prakash Chand and Deepak Daliya were drug addicts and both were shifted to drug de-addiction centre at Ludhiana Central Jail from juvenile home on June 1.
ASI Nachhattar Pal, who is investigating the case, said they will bring the accused on production warrant for questioning.
‘Accused nursed old grudge against him’
Shamsher Singh, superintendent of Ludhiana central jail, said Deepak Daliya told around six months ago Parkash Chand had thrashed him with a brick. He had suffered injuries on his head and needed stitches. Though he did not lodge any case against Parkash Chand, but he nursed a grudge against him.