Natural causes of custodial deaths also need to be probed: Study

Gagan K Teja

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 18

Custodial deaths in police or jail custody is a well-known cause of suspicion of foul play against the authorities and needs thorough investigation under the law, including the autopsy study.

Though unnatural causes of custodial deaths point towards torture or maltreatment by custodians in cases, natural causes of deaths also need to be investigated to gauge parameters of treatment being given to the ill.

These are the observations made by forensic medicine experts in a recent study conducted from the data compiled in the department of forensic medicine and toxicology under the head of the department, Dr KK Aggarwal, to analyse the pattern of deaths in custodial cases of Rajindra Hospital under Government Medical College, Patiala, from January 2015 to June 2017.

According to Dr DS Bhullar, senior expert of the department, who analysed the data as the first author of the study now published in the International Journal of Current Research in Medical Sciences, only 40 cases, excluding some in which the required chemical and histopathological investigations were pending, were analysed in general showing the maximum deaths occurred in the age group of 21 to 40 years (35 per cent) and above 60 years (32.5 per cent) of age with male predominance and almost all deaths from natural causes (92.5 per cent) except three cases (7.5 per cent) in 30 months, which included ante-mortem hanging one each in jail and police custody and one case of accidental choking of a minor male child.

The study indicates absence of adequate and timely medical treatment of ill jail inmates with suggestions to explore reasons behind such high mortality and morbidity so that remedial measures were taken and their human rights protected.

The suggestions made by experts in the study included urgent and dire need for improvement in the medical care facilities in state institutes dealing with custodial cases which primarily are state prisons. 

The prisoners are required to be sensitised to bring to the notice of the prison authorities, including prison officers, officials and the medical staff, about any ailment or bodily problem immediately for timely intervention and treatment, proper hygienic conditions 

and atmosphere needs to be provided to the inmates with preventive purpose, the jail medical staff should be quick to respond to the medical issues of the inmates, overcrowding problem which may be one of the primary causes of infectious diseases needs to be addressed on a priority basis, there should be regular inspections of the prisons for satisfactory medical aid provisions and there should be a mandatory provision of medico-clinical investigation in each natural custodial death with a focus on how to decrease the morbidity and mortality in these cases, senior citizens in prisons need extraordinary medical care and treatment for their ailments and separate wards need to be created to segregate custodial patients suffering from communicable ailments.

Dr Bhullar said the present study represents a general picture of prison fatalities in this region of the country as it included only the cases which were brought for postmortem examination in this particular health institute. We do not advocate being soft on the prisoners but we insist on human and sensitive treatment to this section of society as everyone has the right to life and so does a prisoner, say the experts.

“The Supreme Court has recently issued a series of directions for prevention of suicide and custodial death of prisoners and compensation for the kin of the inmates who die an unnatural death after 2012. We welcome the decision of the apex court directing states to give meaning to life and liberty of every prisoner with an appeal to have a special approach to senior citizens languishing in jails,” said DS Bhullar.

Bhullar is also the chairman of the NGO, Society for People’s Welfare and Awareness of Patiala.