THRC orders probe into death of B’deshi undertrial

Agartala: Death of an undertrial Bangladeshi national last month at the central correctional home has enraged the Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) and prompted a detailed investigation.
According to reports, Faima Bibi, a 40-year-old woman undertrial prisoner from Bangladesh, died at Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) after her health deteriorated while she was detained for illegally entering Tripura.
Faima Bibi was arrested at Airport Police Station in Agartala in Sept for illegally crossing the Bangladesh border. After becoming ill, she was initially treated at the Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Hospital and then shifted to AGMC on the afternoon of Sept 30, where she passed away within a few hours.
The deceased prisoner, originally from Morrelganj in the Khulna district of Bangladesh, had been in custody as an undertrial prisoner. Given that she died while in custody, the THRC emphasised the importance of investigating the circumstances of her detention and medical care to determine the cause of her death.
According to the THRC order, the commission must examine any case where an undertrial prisoner dies in custody to ensure clarity on the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it. The THRC has directed the inspector general of prisons to provide a comprehensive report within four weeks.