Four days after arrest, man dies in Puzhal prison; family alleges police torture
His family members alleged that he was assaulted by Arumbakkam police before his remand, which led to the health complications.
Representative Image (Illustration: Varghese Kallada)
CHENNAI: A 29-year-old man arrested by Chennai Police died in Puzhal prison on Friday, within four days of his arrest, allegedly due to health complications.
His family members alleged that he was assaulted by Arumbakkam police before his remand, which led to the health complications.
The deceased was identified as S Kamalesh of Thiruveedhi Amman street in Arumbakkam.
He was arrested on April 29 (Monday) and sent to Puzhal prison in connection with an assault case in his neighborhood.
According to Prison authorities, Kamalesh suffered from nervous weakness because of his alcohol addiction and on Thursday he was admitted in the prison hospital for treatment and sent to his cell.
On Friday morning, a prison guard had found Kamalesh lying unconscious in his cell after which prison authorities moved him to the prison hospital and then taken in prison ambulance to the Government Stanley Hospital, where he was declared as brought dead.
"The prison doctor had tried to resuscitate the inmate by providing CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation), " claimed a prison official.
Meanwhile, his family members who came to the hospital alleged that he was assaulted severely by Arumbakkam Police during his arrest which led to the health complications.
"It was a small altercation in the neighbourhood and even the complainant was willing to withdraw the complaint after a compromise, but police were insistent on arresting him, which has resulted in this," cried his mother, S Santhi to media persons at the hospital.
Arumbakkam Police had arrested Kamalesh after he assaulted D Jabez of the same neighbourhood for talking with a girl in their neighbourhood and also issued death threats to him.