APDR demands judicial probe after multiple mysterious inmate deaths in Burdwan Jail

The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) has demanded a judicial inquiry into a series of alleged unnatural deaths inside the Burdwan Central Correctional Home in West Bengal. In a statement released on Friday morning, the organisation raised concerns over the latest incident involving the death of a young inmate, Shubhabrata Dutta, who was found dead on Wednesday inside the jail premises.

According to the jail administration, Shubhabrata Dutta died by suicide. Officials stated that he hanged himself inside the toilet. However, his family and human rights activists have contested the claim, alleging that the circumstances point to something beyond suicide. The demand for investigation comes amid similar past incidents reported from the same correctional facility.

In March 2025, another inmate, Biswajit Santra, reportedly died under suspicious circumstances inside Burdwan Jail. Jail officials at the time had attributed the cause of death to a personal issue related to a romantic relationship. APDR later conducted its own fact-finding and alleged that Santra had been beaten after a mobile phone was recovered from him and was then placed in solitary confinement for an extended period. His family had claimed that he was subjected to torture.

APDR General Secretary Ranjit Sur has stated that there were at least two more unnatural deaths of inmates in Burdwan Jail in the year 2024. “What is happening in Burdwan Jail? The situation is alarming,” Sur said in the statement. He added that it is the state government’s responsibility to ensure prisoner safety inside correctional homes and demanded a judicial probe led by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court.

The organisation has also demanded that the investigation report be made public. APDR has alleged that the frequency of such deaths and the lack of official response raise questions about the functioning of the jail administration and the level of oversight.