SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 4: Death of an under trial prisoner in Dhanbad jail on Saturday morning triggered sharp protest from villagers, who while demanding action on police officers, gheraoed Katras police station chowk for several hours.Police officials had to resort to mild force to clear the road as agitators refused to lift the gherao. They jammed the road from 11.30 am to 2 p.m.
Under trial prisoner Sumit Turi (23) died in Dhanbad jail on Saturday morning. He was arrested on November 1 by Katras police and sent to jail on November 3 in connection with an iron scrap theft case.
As the jail authority informed his family members about the death in the morning at around 9.30 am, Katras Lakarka basti’s residents in large numbers assembled at Katras police station and began demonstrating and demanding action on police officers. They sat on the main road blocking the traffic movement completely.
Baghmara sub divisional police officer (SDPO), circle officer (CO) Kamal Kishore Singh reached the spot and assured the agitators to take action against guilty officers after a probe of the incident.
Kishore Turi, father of the victim, alleged that after arresting his son, the Katras police officers had demanded Rs 50,000 for letting him free. “When I expressed my inability to pay such heavy amount, the officers of kept him for two days in custody and tortured badly which led to his death in jail,” he said.
However, according to jail officials, Sumit was admitted to a hospital two days ago after he fell ill while being in the jail.
Katras police station officer in-charge Ras Bihari Lal informed that Sumit’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
