Two days after an inmate's suicide sparked violence in Kannauj prison, a 37-year-old prisoner today died in the district jail here under mysterious circumstances, with family alleging it was a custodial death.
The jail authorities, however, denied the charges, saying that inmate Anek Pal, who was facing murder charges, was ill and died during treatment.
Jail Superintendent Umesh Kumar Singh said Pal was suffering from fever and cough for past several months and was admitted to the jail hospital three days back.
Pal had lung infection and an X-ray test was conducted on him. As his condition deteriorated last night, he was rushed to the district hospital where he died, Singh said.
Pal was brought to the district jail on February 28.
Wife of the deceased, Laxmi Devi, has alleged that her husband was beaten to death by policemen.
Laxmi claimed when she had met her husband on Thursday, he was totally healthy, but had told her about police torture.
Refuting her charges, Singh said that the body has been sent for post-mortem and the reality will soon come out.
The incident comes close on the heels of large-scale violence in the Kannauj district prison on Thursday after a jail inmate had committed suicide.
