Probe ordered into death of detention centre inmate
The Assam government on Wednesday ordered a magisterial probe into the death of an inmate in foreigners detention centre in central Assam’s Tezpur district. The incident came to light after the son of deceased refused to accept the body of his father till he is declared as an Indian national.
Deputy commissioner M.P. Singh said that the probe into the death of 65year-old Dulal Paul at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted to from Tezpur Prison, would be conducted by Additional DC Parag Kakoti.
According to records of the detention centre, Dulal Paul was declared a Bangladeshi by a Foreigners’ Tribunal in
2017 and was languishing at the Tezpur jail-cumDetention Centre since then. Superintendent of Tezpur foreigners detention centre Mrinmay Dawka said that Paul was being treated for diabetes and psychiatric ailments and was examined by doctors of the Tezpur Medical College and Hospital on October 11 and brought back to the detention centre the same day.
However, his condition deteriorated once again the next day and was shifted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, which referred him to Guwahati Medical College, and Hospital where he died on October 13. His body is still at the GMCH morgue as his only son Ashish Paul, a motor mechanic, has refused to take the body. Sonitpur district officials led by ADC Kulen Sharma and Additional SP Numal Mahanta visited the residence of Ashish Paul urging him to receive the body which he declined to take, said district officials.
The Bengali Federation of Assam has also submitted a memorandum to the authorities demanding an investigation into the death.
“I will take my father’s body home only when he is declared an Indian. My father was sent to the detention centre in 2017 after he was branded a Bangladeshi. Now that he is dead, why is the government forcing us to accept his body? My father died as a Bangladeshi despite being an Indian and owning land here since the 60s. Let them send his body to Bangladesh,” he said.