The Dehradun unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has opened an investigation into a prisoner's death at Haldwani jail, according to the High Court’s instructions.
The CBI's Dehradun branch received the High Court of Uttarakhand's ruling. Four prison guards, including Devendra Prasad Yadav (the jail chief guard), Kirti Nainwal, Devendra Rawat, and Harish Rawat, have been charged with murder.
Lawyer Sanjeev Akash initiated a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this matter.
Pravesh Kumar, a native of Kundeshwari in Kashipur, died in the Haldwani Prison on March 6. He was accused of sexually assaulting a neighbour and feuding with his wife.
Bharti, the deceased's widow, had requested that the issue be investigated at all levels. Following that, in May 2021, the District Legal Services Authority granted orders to lodge a murder case against four staff of the Haldwani prison, based on the petitioner's accusations.
Background of Incident:
On May 25, Irshad was transferred from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, to the sub-jail. This man, who was charged with attempted murder and criminal intimidation, died on July 11 in Haldwani's Sushila Tiwari Hospital. While jail officials informed his family he died of TB, his father claimed he had no such ailments and went to the police.
On July 24, police filed a FIR under S. 302 (Murder) against unknown persons and began their investigation.
S K Sukhija, the superintendent of the Haldwani sub-jail, informed on August 1, that the convict had been suffering from tuberculosis, which would be evident after the autopsy result was received. In his situation, there is no evidence of any assault, he added.
