Rourkela: Death of an under-trial prisoner at Rourkela Government Hospital early Wednesday has sparked controversy, with his wife alleging murder in judicial custody. Rajesh Kujur (45), arrested for possessing illicit liquor, died hours after being admitted to the hospital from Rourkela special jail. His wife, Amrita Kujur, alleged that he sustained fatal head injuries while in custody.
“My husband was perfectly healthy when excise officials took him from our home at 5:30 am on Tuesday When I saw his body in the morgue, his shirt was bloodied, and his head was bandaged,” said Amrita.
Kujur, a resident of Dalki village in Sundargarh district, was arrested after officials seized 18 litres of illicitly distilled liquor from his house. He was produced before the JMFC court, Birmitrapur, and subsequently imprisoned in Rourkela special jail on Tuesday afternoon.
According to assistant jailor Priyajit Mangua, Kujur had a history of epilepsy and suffered a seizure in jail on Tuesday night. “He fell and injured his head when he couldn’t walk properly,” Mangua stated.
However, excise inspector Mohan Pradhan maintained that Kujur was medically fit when sent to jail. “His health check-up was done before he was produced in court,” he said. The family has refused to allow post-mortem examination and plans to protest outside the excise superintendent’s office on Thursday, demanding compensation. “My husband was the sole breadwinner for our family of six,” Amrita added.
Inspector of Raghunathpalli police station Rajendra Swain confirmed that despite attempts to conduct an inquest and post-mortem, the family remains uncooperative. Attempts to reach Rourkela special jail superintendent Jiban Singh Munda for comment were unsuccessful.