New Delhi: The NHRC has sent a notice to the Rajasthan Police chief over the reported death of a prisoner under suspicious circumstances in the Ajmer Central Jail and sought a report in six weeks, officials said on Monday.
The National Human Rights Commission in a statement observed that the content of the media report, if true, 'indicate negligence' on the part of the jail authorities, raising an issue of human rights violations.
The NHRC has taken 'suo motu cognisance of a media report that a 45-year-old HIV-positive prisoner died inside the Ajmer Central Jail under suspicious circumstances on 19th February, 2024.'
Reportedly, the prisoner died after 'hitting himself with an iron rod during a fight with the prison staff,' it added.
The jail authorities should have taken extra care and protection to keep such items as iron rods out of the reach of prisoners.
Accordingly, it has issued notice to the Director General of Prisons of Rajasthan, seeking a detailed report in six weeks, the statement said.
"The report is expected to include his complete medical record right since entry to the prison, inquest report, post-mortem report, video recording of the same and magisterial enquiry report besides the steps taken/proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur," it said.
The Commission has also asked the authorities to inform it about the correct age of the deceased prisoner as in the intimation from the Superintendent of the Ajmer Central Jail, the age of the prisoner is mentioned as 61 years, the statement said.
Published 26 February 2024, 15:30 IST