Karnal jail inmate commits suicide

KARNAL: A 55-year-old inmate of Karnal district jail allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a turban in the prison hospital on late Tuesday night.

The deceased has been identified as Avtar Singh (55), a truck driver of Gurdaspur in Punjab. He was arrested by the Panipat police under the NDPS Act on May 25 after the cops recovered around 4kg of poppy husk form his possession. He was brought to Karnal jail on May 28.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Karnal jail superintendent Sher Singh said that in the preliminary investigations, it was found that Avtar was a drug addict and he was shifted to the rehabilitation centre of the prison hospital on Tuesday morning. But around 9pm, he committed suicide at the centre.

According to the jail officials, Avtar was disturbed as he could not get drugs for the past fourfive days.

The family members of the deceased alleged that the jail authorities and the police did not provide him proper care as he was addicted to drugs for the past 30 years.

“Since he was arrested on May 25, the Panipat police and the officials of Karnal jail did not allow him to meet anybody”, said Guljar Singh, elder brother of the deceased.

Meanwhile, a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the matter under additional chief judicial magistrate Hemant Yadav.