Protests erupt over prisoner’s death in Buxar

Buxar: Tension gripped the sadar hospital campus on Friday after a 32-year-old inmate of Buxar Central Jail died under suspicious circumstances. Family members alleged foul play and accused the jail administration and police of collusion, claiming there were visible injury marks on the body.

Rajendra Prasad, 32, son of Kedar Singh and a resident of Jail Pin Road, was arrested on Feb 12 on charges of liquor sale and lodged in Buxar Central Jail. Jail authorities said his health deteriorated in custody and he was admitted to the prison hospital ward. At around 7am on Friday, his condition worsened and he died.


On reaching the hospital, relatives staged a protest, claiming he was in normal health when they met him two days earlier.

The jail superintendent said a prima facie cause of death appeared to be a heart attack and that a report was awaited. The SDPO said a team would investigate the allegations and action would follow the departmental report.

The protest continued for nearly two hours before officials persuaded the family to allow a post-mortem. Later, the family blocked a road for over two hours.