The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to pay a damage of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of an under-trial prisoner (UTP), who allegedly committed suicide on September 7, 2012 while lodged in the Umarkote sub-jail of Nabarangpur district.
Tapan Biswas(26), was under judicial custody for trial in certain criminal case. But in September 2012, he committed suicide in the jail complex. The postmortem report said the death was caused due to asphyxia, and two jail warders were charged with misconduct and dereliction of duties.
Although the NHRC acknowledged the fact that the jail authorities completed all the formalities as per the rules for treatment to save Biswal’s life, it recommended compensation to the victim’s family as he died while under the care custody of the jail authorities.
A magisterial inquiry, however, had given a clean chit to the jail authorities in the incident observing that there was no foul play on the part of the jail authorities. “The State Government was liable to compensate the next of kin of the deceased for human rights to life of the prisoner by its officials,” the NHRC said.