UAPA accused dies in Sangrur jail, kin allege murder
The man, who was arrested on UAPA charges in 2018, died on Friday. His brother said the family was informed by police regarding it on August 2. 'We think the police have tortured and killed him,' he said.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the post-mortem procedure in Sangrur, he said the family wanted it either in PGI, Chandigarh, or Rajindra hospital in Patiala while fearing cops' influence in Sangrur. The family said it has met with cabinet minister Laljit Singh Bhullar to seek justice.
The undertrial had been held in Sangrur jail for over two months followed by Kapurthala and Amritsar jails since his arrest in 2018. According to his brother, he used to express fears for his safety. 'He used to complain of being alone in jail, demanding that two or three others be added along with him. His pleas were ignored. He would tell us that they would kill him,' he said.
When contacted, jail superintendent Ramandeep Singh Bhangu, who took charge a day after the incident on Saturday, denied the allegations. 'There is nothing like that. A judicial inquiry is going on. There have been no suspensions or transfers related to the incident. Such orders were already there prior to the death,' he said.
Former superintendent of Sangrur jail, Kulwant Singh, was relieved of his duties three to five days before the incident. The deputy superintendent of jail, Jaspreet Singh, who was in-charge of the jail at that time, said, 'There is no such thing. A judicial inquiry is going on. There are CCTVs in jail.' He further informed that the deceased had been lodged in high-security jails, along with nine other inmates in Sangrur jail, for the past two months.
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