Tragic jail death: Undertrial prisoner dies in Dhanbad jail; magisterial inquiry ordered to investigate circumstances

Dhanbad: An undertrial prisoner lodged in Dhanbad divisional jail died under suspicious circumstances late Monday night, leading the district administration to order a magisterial inquiry and a supervised post-mortem examination.

The deceased was identified as 27-year-old Jeetan Rajwar of Sangramdih under Govindpur police station. He was in jail since May 16 in connection with the alleged murder of his wife, Sanjoti Devi (24).

Additional collector Vinod Kumar, who is currently holding additional charge of the jail administration, said Jeetan’s health reportedly deteriorated on the very day he was sent to jail. Following complaints of illness, he was taken to Dhanbad Sadar Hospital for treatment. After receiving primary medical care, he was discharged and brought back to the jail premises.

Jail authorities said his condition worsened again late Monday night. He allegedly collapsed after losing consciousness inside the jail. He was first given preliminary treatment at the jail hospital and later referred to Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment, where he died during treatment.

Deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan directed the administration to ensure proper monitoring of the post-mortem process. Ravindra Nath Thakur was appointed magistrate to oversee the proceedings. Officials said the autopsy will be conducted under the supervision of a medical board to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Magistrate Ravindra Nath Thakur and sub-inspector J L Sharma of Dhanbad police station said the deceased was reportedly suffering from certain health-related issues prior to his death. However, officials maintained that the exact cause would be confirmed only after the post-mortem examination report.

Police have informed the family. The man and the woman had a four-year-old son.