The head warden of Tihar Jail was suspended and a judicial inquiry initiated after two convicted inmates were found dead under mysterious circumstances at the high-security on Thursday morning. The incident comes merely three days after another undertrial was stabbed to death in the high security prison.
Police later identified the deceased persons as Ritesh Mittal (32) and Amit (26) and said that the duo might have died due to drug overdose.
"Preliminary investigations suggest that the two inmates died after consuming some drug that was smuggled inside the prison. The exact cause behind their death will however be ascertained only after a post-mortem examination,” said an investigating officer. The duo were lodged in ward number two at jail number 8-9 of the prison complex. Ritesh was undergoing life imprisonment in a murder case and had spent 11 years in jail.
“Authorities called in jail doctors who tried to revive them but realising that they need institutional care they were sent to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya hospital where they died at around 9-30 a.m.” said Tihar DIG and spokesperson Mukesh Prasad. Police were informed about the incident and they have started investigation in the case.
Following the incident, Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain has summoned the jail authorities in connection with the incident and directed them to submit a detailed report.
The minister expressed concern over the security of inmates lodged inside Tihar Jail.
“A committee to be headed by G Sudhakar (secretary to the minister), who has previously served as DIG Prisons, will review the security arrangements inside the Tihar Jail and will submit its report to Mr. Jain within a week,” a statement from the Delhi government said.
“The minister has directed officials to expedite the completion of Mandoli Jail in East Delhi to ensure quick de-congestion of Tihar Jail, which has been repeatedly cited as one of the main reasons behind the problems inside this prison,” the statement added.
