Rajahmundry: Five warders were suspended on charges of negligence, as a remand prisoner committed suicide in the Rajahmundry Central Jail on Monday. One Chinthakayala Ravi, 21, hailing from Allipudi village in East Godavari along with two others were arrested by the police at Tuni on October 10 for smuggling ganja. At that time, the car in which ganja was being smuggled rammed a bike causing injuries to two persons at Tuni.
The police seized the vehicle involved in the accident and they found 200 kg ganja concealed in luggage compartment. All the three accused were arrested and produced before additional judicial first class magistrate on October 11 and the accused were sent to judicial remand at Cental Jail in Rajahmundry. On October 14, at about 6.40 pm, the remand prisoner Ravi was found hanging with his towel as a noose around his neck to the ceiling of a shed. He was breathing heavily after the jail staff lowered him.
Jail authorities shifted him to government hospital immediately but the doctors declared him brought dead. Jail authorities said that Ravi’s uncle met him when permitted in the jail and reportedly informed him that the accident victim succumbed to his injuries and admonished him for causing the accident and involving in the ganja smuggling. When the car met with an accident, Ravi was at the wheel.
Moreover, Ravi during his interaction with other remand prisoners involved in ganja smuggling cases in the jail barracks reportedly learnt that they failed to get bail for a long time like one year and above. Jail authorities suspect that he might have felt disheartened and took the extreme step of committing suicide.
Central Jail superintendent M. Vara Prasad said, “We have a very perfect system of vigilance including electronic surveillance in jail barracks to keep close guard on the inmates. All the five warders who were supposed to keep close tab on movement of inmates failed to do so resulting in the remand prisoner committing suicide. We have placed them under suspension on charges of negligence.”
Meanwhile, sources said that Ravi was not a professional smuggler of ganja as he used work in a hotel. When he was hitchhiking in a car, he was caught by the police and was booked on charges of smuggling ganja along with others. But, it is not known as to why he was driving the car when it met with an accident.
Police have booked a case and investigation is on.
