Inquiry indicts jail officials in prisoner's death
PTI, PANAJI | 16 July 2013 14:47 IST
A magisterial inquiry into the food poisoning incident at Aguada Central Jail in Goa that left a prisoner dead has found that jail authorities allegedly did not provide timely medical treatment to the inmate.
In his 175-page inquiry report submitted to the Inspector General of Prisons Mihir Vardhan, Additional District Collector Dipak Desai said there were increasing clashes between prisoners in the jail though the food poisoning itself has not been attributed to human mischief.
Desai's report said that the food poisoning occurred due to contaminated water and that there is no purposeful human involvement in the case.
A prisoner, Mahadev Gaonkar, had died and more than 100 became ill after Goa's Central jail at Aguada and a sub-jail at Mapusa were hit with food poisoning on May 31.
Both jails used to receive food prepared at Aguada.
The inquiry said that jail authorities allegedly did not provided medical treatment for almost five hours, before he expired.
The magistrate has recommended posting of a round-the-clock doctor at the jail, a special cell to escort prisoners to hospital and monthly inspections of the jail kitchen at Aguada by Food and Drugs Administration officials, as precautionary measures, to avoid recurrence of such incidents.
