Ex-Maoist found dead in Hazaribagh open jail
A 30-year-old surrendered Maoist was found dead in a surrender inmates' open jail in Hazaribagh district.
Jail authorities confirmed that the inmate — identified as Chhota Shyamlal Dehri, also known by the aliases Santu Dehri and Somlal Dehri — was found unresponsive inside his allotted cottage.
Jail officials said that Dehri hailed from Dukhan Dehri village in Jharkhand's Dumka district. He had been transferred from Central Jail Dumka and entered the 'surrender prison' on February 9, 2021. He was facing trial in eight pending criminal cases related to Naxal activities.
The incident came to light during the morning headcount when Dehri, who was lodged in Ward No. D, did not respond to calls from prison staff.
Jail Superintendent Jitendra Kumar told The Indian Express that the deceased was an unmarried man from Dumka district and had been living alone in one of the 100 cottages meant for surrendered Naxals. 'Each inmate is given an individual unit that includes a room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. This isn't a typical prison, but a rehabilitation facility for surrendered cadres.'
He had reportedly surrendered on April 22, 2020, after initially joining the banned outfit due to a land dispute in his village. 'He joined the Naxal outfit hoping they would help resolve his land issue, but when that didn't happen, he… surrendered,' Kumar said.
Officials said the inmate had shown no signs of mental illness during his stay.
'He wasn't under any psychiatric care. Those with such issues are referred to Ranchi for treatment,' Kumar said.
However, another official said, 'We don't have a trained counsellor in this jail, and honestly, most prisons across the country don't. There's a serious staff crunch. Sometimes NGOs conduct small sessions, but nothing is regular or institutionalised.'
One fellow inmate also said that the deceased occasionally spoke of stress over unresolved land disputes.
Official information said no suicide incidents were reported in the Hazaribagh Open Jail in recent years.
However, in the last two to three months, four such cases have occurred in jails across the state. These were reported to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India.
Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions.
You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
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