Three prison personnel, including a deputy jailor, have been suspended following the death of an inmate under suspicious circumstances at the district jail in Uttar Pradesh`s Pratapgarh, officials said on Saturday, reported the PTI.
The incident occurred on Friday when an inmate sustained severe burn injuries inside the jail premises. He later died, raising concerns about safety and supervision within the prison.
District Jail Superintendent Rishabh Dwivedi identified the deceased as Deepak alias Rahul, an undertrial prisoner from Unnao.
Background of the case
The inmate had been lodged in jail since November 1, 2025 following orders of a special POCSO court. He was facing charges related to rape and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, according to the PTI.
The case had been registered at Kandhai police station in Pratapgarh.
Officials Suspended, probe ordered
The suspended personnel include Deputy jailor Dhruv Narayan Srivastava, Chief warder Akhilesh Singh and a staff member identified as Prasad, the news agency reported.
The officials have directed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons to carry out a departmental inquiry into the incident.
Suicide suspected, investigation ongoing
According to Rishabh Dwivedi, the incident appears to be a case of suicide at first glance. However, he said the exact sequence of events will only be confirmed after a detailed investigation.
The body has been sent for postmortem examination. A forensic team is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the death to determine what exactly happened inside the prison.
Life convict attacks jail staff in Maharashtra`s Thane, booked
Meanwhile, in an another incident, a life convict has been booked for allegedly assaulting and threatening a jail constable in Maharashtra’s Thane district after being denied an unauthorised meeting with his brother, police said last week, reported the PTI.
The incident took place on April 2, when the convict was being escorted back to prison following a court appearance.
The accused, Avinash Jadhav, is currently serving a life sentence at Thane Central Jail, the news agency reported.
According to police, he became enraged after a constable prevented his brother from approaching him inside the sessions court premises in Mumbai.
The constable had reportedly stopped the brother from handing over an item and instructed him to maintain distance.
Officials said that upon returning to the jail, Jadhav confronted the constable at the prison entrance.
He allegedly assaulted the officer, shouted at jail staff, and issued threats, creating a disturbance and intimidating on-duty personnel.
The victim, a 42-year-old constable, was supervising a group of undertrials and convicts at the time of the incident, as per the PTI.
Case registered under BNS
Police have registered a case against Jadhav under Section 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.
(with PTI inputs)