Family alleges prisoner beaten to death by Sabarmati jail staff, FIR against unidentified officials

In a shocking allegation, the family of a 33-year-old prisoner who died in judicial custody at the Sabarmati Central Jail in May last year has accused jail staff of fatally assaulting him. The Ranip police have registered an FIR under sections of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and abetment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s elder brother.

According to the FIR filed by Pravinkumar Parmar (43), a resident of Behrampura, his younger brother Ajaybhai Parmar was serving a sentence of imprisonment at the Central Jail, Ahmedabad, in connection with a maintenance case. Ajaybhai had been sent to judicial custody on May 22, 2024, after failing to pay ₹1.71 lakh in maintenance as directed by a Kalol court.

Pravinkumar stated that he last met his brother at the jail on May 24, assuring him that the pending amount would soon be deposited in court. However, on May 26, he received a call from the Danilimda police, informing him that his brother had fallen ill in custody and had been taken to the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.

“When we reached the Civil Hospital, we were told that my brother had died during treatment and his body was kept in the post-mortem room,” the complainant said in his statement. “When we saw the body, we found multiple injury marks on his chest and ribs.”

According to the post-mortem report, Ajaybhai had sustained 29 injuries, including fractured ribs, which the family believes were caused by custodial assault. The complaint alleges that he was “beaten by jail staff on duty for some reason” between May 22 and 26, 2024, leading to his death.

Following the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family. Pravinkumar claimed he later consulted a medical expert who confirmed that the injuries mentioned in the autopsy were consistent with physical assault. He subsequently approached the Ranip police, seeking a detailed investigation into the alleged custodial violence.

Acting on the complaint, police registered a case under the BNS sections and have started an investigation. 

Police officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the prisoner’s death and to identify the jail personnel allegedly involved in the incident.