CHENNAI: A 29-year-old remand prisoner who collapsed in prison and was admitted to the Government Stanley Hospital succumbed on Thursday evening. His family has alleged that he died due to injuries sustained during police custody and that the police obtained a false fitness certificate before he was lodged in prison.
The deceased was Punithan Mahimai Das alias Kelvin of Tiruneermalai Road. Sources said that he was arrested by the Shankar Nagar police on February 13 on an NBW (non-bailable warrant) for skipping trial in a robbery case.
On Wednesday afternoon, Punithan fainted and collapsed inside the prison. He was treated at the prison hospital and then shifted to the Government Stanley Hospital. He succumbed without responding to treatment on Thursday evening, the police said.
About 30 of his family members, who were gathered at the hospital, staged a protest claiming that Punithan had injuries all over his body and he was forcibly arrested despite his health ailments. Police teams pacified the family members, after which they dispersed.
Punithan's wife, Keerthana, was wailing inconsolably with her one-year-old child and demanded a probe into her husband's death. The police are awaiting post-mortem reports to ascertain the cause of death.