Five prisoners at the high-security Tihar Jail in the national capital have died in the past eight days, according to several news agencies.
Though all the deaths appeared to be from natural causes, Director General (Prisons) Sandeeep Goyal told the IANS news agency that a “Magisterial inquiry under Sec 176 of the CrPC has been initiated in all the fatalities”.
The latest fatality was reported on Friday. The prisoner who was identified as Vikram alias Vicky was found unconscious in his cell and was immediately taken to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead.
“In all these, the circumstances indicate natural causes like old disease or other unknown reason,” Goyal said, adding as per rules, inquest proceedings are being conducted by Metropolitan Magistrate in each case.
