Prisoner dying in jail due to neglect a serious issue: HC

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court took cognisance of a petition filed by a prisoner who alleged that one of the inmates of Morshi open jail in Amravati died due to neglect of authorities there. According to the petitioner, deceased Pradip Gadekar was suffering from some serious ailment.
“This petition is virtually in the nature of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) as it relates to an issue regarding neglect of prisoners by the jail authorities at Morshi. The issue is serious and raises question mark on the attitude and functioning of prison authorities,” a division bench comprising justices Sunil Shukre and Anil Kilor said.
Quoting petitioner Ramesh Kisan Rathod, the judges said if this is allowed to be ignored, other prisoners may face similar tragedy in future. The issue, therefore, is required to be dealt with appropriately, they said.
While issuing notices to respondents, including DIG (Prisons) in Nagpur and Morshi jail superintendent, the bench directed them to reply within three weeks. Jail’s medical officer Kanchan Sonare, in-charge jail SP Ashok Malvad and guards Manohar Pate and Ankush Tejankar are other respondents.
The petitioner through counsel Mir Nagman Ali prayed for registration of offence under Section 304A of IPC for culpable homicide and setting up of a committee headed by officer not below the rank of district and sessions judge for investigating Gadekar’s death.
He argued that Gadekar met with tragic death due to respondents’ irresponsible behaviour and sheer negligence. “Gadekar could have been saved had authorities taken him to the nearby government hospital for treatment well in time,” he said.
According to him, all the convicts in jail are witnessing the irresponsible and negligent behaviour of respondents. “About 42 of them are ready to depose about the death but deposition should be outside the jail as they face threat from respondents,” he said.
The petitioner also contended that whenever any convict complains about health problems, he is prescribed some pills but not taken to the hospital even if critical.
What petitioner stated
* Prisoner was suffering from ulcer on tongue and was in severe pain
* He requested authorities to take him to hospital, but it was neglected
* He was given some pill and told that guard was unavailable to take him
* He applied for furlough leave for treatment, but wasn’t released
* On November 16, 2019, he started severely bleeding from mouth
* When he was finally taken to the hospital, doctors declared him critical
* 3 days later, he succumbed to his ailment after being shifted to Amravati