Undertrial inmate dies of burn injuries in jail, 3 officials suspended

The Director General of Prisons has suspended three personnel, including a deputy jailor, following the death of an inmate at the district jail in Pratapgarh, a jail official said on Saturday.

The inmate died on Friday after sustaining burn injuries inside the prison under suspicious circumstances.

District Jail Superintendent Rishabh Dwivedi identified the deceased as Deepak alias Rahul, an undertrial prisoner from Unnao who was facing charges under rape and the POCSO. He has been in jail since November 1, 2025, following orders of a special POCSO court. The suspended personnel include deputy jailor Dhruv Narayan Srivastava, chief warder (bandi rakshak) Akhilesh Singh, and another staff member, Prasad.  The DIG (Jails) has been directed to initiate a departmental inquiry.

“Prima facie, the incident appears to be a case of suicide. The inmate suffered critical burn injuries within the jail premises,” Dwivedi said, adding that the exact sequence of events would be established after a detailed investigation. The case against him had been registered at the Kandhai police station in Pratapgarh.

The body has been sent for postmortem examination, while a forensic team is conducting a probe.