CUTTACK: An undertrial prisoner (UTP) at the Choudwar Circle Jail sustained grievous head injuries after another inmate hit him with a steel plate following an argument on Monday morning.
The injured UTP has been identified as Kavi Seth. The matter came to light after Choudwar police received information about it from a reliable source. As per reports, Seth and the other inmate Santosh Sinha were kept in the same ward no 62.
On Monday morning, the duo was having breakfast when an argument broke out between them over some issue.
The matter soon escalated and in a fit of rage, Sinha hit Seth on his head multiple times with a steel plate, leaving him with critical injuries. Sources said as things were beginning to heat up between the duo, a warder attempted to inform the matter to the head warder over the walkie-talkie but the latter reportedly remained unresponsive.
In the meantime, after Seth was already injured, the jail authorities rushed him to SCB medical college and hospital for treatment. However, they had reportedly asked their staff and other inmates to remain mum on the issue. Police said the jail authorities did not lodge any complaint until the cops learnt about it from another source.
On getting information, Choudwar IIC Deepak Khandayatray contacted the jail authorities over phone and asked them to lodge a complaint. Basing on the complaint, police began investigation. Efforts to elicit response from jail superintendent Sujit Roul on the incident proved futile.
This incident has occurred just weeks after two UTPs fled the jail premises amid Dussehra celebrations on October 2, exposing the negligence, inefficiency and lapses on the part of the jail authorities.