A big question mark on the security of correctional home inmates has come up once again after family members of a prisoner at the Balurghat correctional home alleged “unnatural death” of their loved one this morning.

The inmate had been lodged in the home for the past five months, it is learnt. Family members of the inmate have demanded investigations into the death.

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A group of district Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have intervened in the matter, and after studying the entire matter, they too have suspected a case of unnatural death and have demanded proper investigations.

Meanwhile, authorities of the correctional home denied commenting on the issue. It is learnt that Mukul Das, 50, a resident of Shibpur village under the Banshihari police station in South Dinajpur was arrested five months ago by the Banshihari police for illegally trading in ‘cough syrup.’

He was sent to the Balurghat correctional home after trial. The family members of the prisoner were informed about his death today morning. The body has been sent for a post-mortem.

“Family members have demanded proper investigations as they are still unclear about the reason for the death,” sources said. “I met my brother in the correctional home on Monday morning. He was fit and fine, but today morning, the home authority informed us about his death. The home officials are claiming that my brother died in the hospital. However, according to reports of the hospital, he was brought dead. We want proper investigations in the matter,” said Kajal Das, a family member of the prisoner.

According to the report of the hospital, Mr Das was brought dead at 9:45 AM. “Any death is painful for us. We don’t know the actual cause of the death. We will be examining the actual cause of the death after receiving the post mortem reports,” a senior official of the Balurghat correctional home said.

The district president of the BJP, Suvendu Sarkar, meanwhile, sid he suspects “something wrong” with the death. “We have doubts as we find some contradictions after the hospital authority claimed that the prisoner was ‘brought dead.’ We suspect that Mr Das might have been killed. We want proper investigations in the issue or else the BJP will start a stern movement in the district,” he said.