3 undertrial prisoners die of poisoning in Ranchi
Three undertrial prisoners of a major jail in Jharkhand died on Sunday in a mysterious incident of food poisoning reportedly after consuming a cold drink, sparking off allegations that they were eliminated by their rivals with the help of jail authorities.
Four other inmates of the same jail — Birsa Munda Central Jail at Hotwar near Ranchi — were admitted at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in the Jharkhand capital within hours of the three deaths. They displayed similar symptoms and their condition was stated to be critical.
The three dead men were lodged in the jail after being arrested some six months ago in cases of minor crimes like public fighting and theft, said sources. Two of them — Manoj Kumar and Manoj Singh — were rushed to the hospital on Sunday morning in critical conditions and died soon after reaching. The third prisoner also died despite the doctors’ best efforts, the sources added.
The cold drink, said to be bottles of Coca Cola, that the prisoners drank while inside the high-security jail reportedly contained high doses of poison, but it was unclear under what circumstances they drank it. Doctors were quoted as saying that the three dead prisoners’ lives could have been saved if they were brought earlier. Neither the jail authorities nor Jharkhand’s IGP (Prisons) came forward with a statement.
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