Under-trial serving term for rape, murder dies in correctional home

Mystery shrouds the death of an under-trial prisoner whose body was found inside the toilet at Uluberia sub-correctional home.

Tension ran high at the sub-correctional home following the recovery of the dead body. The staff members of the correctional home at around 10 am on Wednesday found that the under-trail prisoner Moslem Khan dead. His body was lying on the floor.

He was taken to the Uluberia Hospital for post-mortem. A magistrate level inquiry would be conducted in this regard. However, the sub-correctional home authorities were not available for a comment.

It was learnt that Khan had been accused of murdering an eight-year-old girl after raping her. The incident took place in Bahadurpur area of Birshivpur, Howrah. The girl, who was a local resident, had gone missing in August 2015. In September 2015, the body of the girl was found from a bush near her house. Police started an investigation and arrested the accused, who was one of the neighbours of the victim, on September 13, 2015.

After being informed, police reached Uluberia sub-correctional home for investigation. According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that the prisoner might have committed suicide. They, however, did not reveal any information related to the death.

Police came to know that the accused had gone to the toilet on early Wednesday morning. As he did not return to his cell, the security personnels started a search and found the victim lying dead on the bathroom floor. The matter was immediately informed to the jail officials. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead by the doctors. Police are waiting for the post-mortem report which would throw some light on the death of the under-trial prisoner.