Kolkata, 1 August (H.S.): Raising serious concerns over a series of “unnatural deaths” inside Bardhaman Central Correctional Home, human rights organisation Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter, urging the appointment of a retired Calcutta High Court judge to investigate the circumstances.

In a statement issued on Friday morning, the APDR revealed that a young inmate, Shubhabrata Dutta, died inside the jail on Wednesday. While prison authorities have claimed that he died by suicide after allegedly hanging himself in the bathroom, the deceased’s family and rights activists have alleged foul play, insisting that it was a case of murder, not suicide.

APDR General Secretary Ranjit Sur recalled a similar case from March 2025, when another young inmate, Biswajit Santra, had also died under suspicious circumstances in the same correctional facility. At the time, prison officials attributed the death to a personal relationship issue, but an internal probe by APDR indicated that Santra had been subjected to physical assault and prolonged solitary confinement after a mobile phone was found in his possession.

Santra’s family had also alleged that he was repeatedly tortured in jail. Now, with Dutta’s death, questions are once again being raised about the conduct and accountability of the Bardhaman jail authorities.

Sur further stated that at least two other unnatural deaths had taken place inside Bardhaman jail in 2024 as well. “What exactly is happening inside Bardhaman Jail? The situation is deeply alarming,” he said. “It is the state government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of inmates. The repeated deaths and the administration’s silence raise serious questions about the system.”

Calling for an impartial judicial investigation, APDR has demanded that a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court be appointed to probe the deaths and that the findings of the inquiry be made public. Sur also alleged that the continuing silence of the government indicates there may be a serious administrative lapse or cover-up within the jail management.

The organisation has urged immediate intervention to safeguard the lives of prisoners and restore transparency within the correctional system.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh