Arjun Bahadur Tamang, 24, of Jante-3, Morang was thrashed by a group with allegiance to inmate leader Dev Kumar Mehta, police said. Tamang was transferred to Jhumka jail from Jhapa just a week ago and had been thrashed by Mehta group since the day of his arrival.
“Though he had been beaten from the first day, the internal administration (comprising inmates) did not report the case to the jail administration and we were late in getting the information. He died during the course of treatment after being taken to hospital last evening,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police in Sunsari Rajendra Prasad Dhakal.
Six others, who had been transferred to Jhumka from Jhapa along with Tamang, have been injured by the Mehta group. Bindeshwar Rajbanshi, Surya Rajbanshi, Chandan Thapa, Sanubaba Rajbanshi, Pradip Rai and Subash Neupane injured in the fight are receiving treatment inside the jail.Mehta and Tamang used to routinely fight while they were in Morang two years back and Mehta´s animosity only grew after Tamang came to Jhumka from Jhapa. Both were in the internal administration while in Morang Jail. Tamang was serving a sentence for murdering 2-year-old Shambhu Rai of Tandi-5 Chitwan five years ago.
The head of the jail, which came into operation about one and half months back, Sanjeep Niraula, admitted that the the oversight was jail administration´s fault. “The internal administration did not leak information about the brawl when the jail administration asked about the condition of inmates and detainees,” Niraula said. “Tamang slowly started showing effects of the thrashing and sadly died while undergoing treatment,” Niraula added.
Tamang´s relatives staged a sit-in in front of the jail, which houses 30 inmates and 113 detainees, Tuesday demanding inquiry and punishment for the guilty. They also shouted slogans against the jail administration.
“A high level probe committee should be formed for investigation as he died due to irresponsibility of the jail administration. The administration did not pay heed even after we informed the administration about the beating,” said the deceased´s brother Chandra Man adding that he had requested the administration to take Tamang elsewhere for treatment Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Sunsari district administration office has formed a three-member probe committee under Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO) Harihar Dahal to investigate Tamang´s death while the police have also started a separate investigation. DSP Dhakal and Sanjeev Pradhan of the National Investigation Department are the other members of the committee.
Sunsari CDO Hari Krishna Upadhyaya said that the committee will make its report public within five days.
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