Himachal: Prisoner dies under mysterious circumstances in Dharamshala jail

A prisoner serving a sentence under the POCSO Act died under mysterious circumstances in Himachal Pradeshs Dharamshala, police said on Thursday.The deceased has been identified as Vivek Kumar 25, son of Jagdish Chand, a resident of Khanyara in Dharamshala.

A prisoner serving a sentence under the POCSO Act died under mysterious circumstances in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, police said on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Vivek Kumar (25), son of Jagdish Chand, a resident of Khanyara in Dharamshala. According to jail authorities, the incident occurred at around 5:35 pm in the prison premises.

The purported CCTV footage shows Vivek collapsing moments after touching the iron gate of his cell. Fellow inmates immediately raised an alarm, following which the prison staff rushed him to Dharamshala Hospital in an unconscious condition.

Due to his critical condition, he was later referred to Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, where doctors declared him dead.

Vivek had been lodged in jail since 2023 in connection with a POCSO case and was serving a seven-year sentence. Sources said he had already completed a substantial portion of his term.

Confirming the incident, Jail Superintendent Vikas Bhatnagar said the preliminary findings suggest the possibility of electrocution, though the exact cause of the death is yet to be determined. ''A detailed investigation is underway, and all aspects of the case are being examined,'' he stated.

Meanwhile, the deceased's father has raised serious allegations regarding the circumstances surrounding his son's death. Chand submitted a complaint to the superintendent of police, expressing suspicion of foul play.

Rejecting the jail administration's claim of an accidental death, he alleged that his son might have been physically assaulted by one or more individuals inside the prison premises.