Gurgaon: Haryana Human Rights Commission on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the death of an undertrial prisoner in judicial custody at Neemka district jail in Faridabad. It directed the Haryana prisons department to submit a report examining allegations of harassment, medical negligence and compliance with prison safety protocols.Taking cognisance of the custodial death, commission member Deep Bhatia directed Haryana’s director general of prisons to submit the report through the commission’s director general (investigation) before the next hearing on Aug 19.The complaint has been filed by a family member of the undertrial prisoner, Rankit alias Ritik, who was found dead inside a washroom of the hospital in the jail. It alleges that he was subjected to continuous physical and mental harassment while in judicial custody. It also claims that though he was suffering from depression, he was not provided timely psychiatric care or adequately monitored in accordance with his mental health condition.The commission has sought details of the circumstances leading to his death, including medical treatment provided to him, the identity of the doctor or psychiatrist who attended to him, medicines prescribed and administered, and whether the prison authorities followed prison rules and suicide prevention protocols. The inquiry will also examine the role and responsibilities of prison officials who were on duty at the time of the incident.The complaint has sought preservation of all material and electronic evidence related to the case, including CCTV footage from the jail premises, recordings from control rooms and security towers, entry and exit logs, duty registers, daily diaries, visitor records, medical and psychiatric documents, complaint registers and other official records.It has requested preservation of call detail records, location data and communication records of the concerned officials during the relevant period to facilitate a fair and impartial investigation.The complainant has also urged the commission to initiate legal action against officials found responsible and ensure justice.
