The death of an undertrial inmate after he reportedly fell seriously ill in Howrah District Correctional Home has raised questions over medical care and accountability inside the facility. The deceased, identified as Prosenjit Ghosh of Liluah’s Mir Para, was arrested in connection with a shooting incident and was in judicial custody when his health deteriorated.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal, Ghosh’s family has alleged that he was given a poisonous substance with his food and that correctional authorities failed to arrange timely treatment after he became unwell. The allegations have not been independently established. The district administration has reportedly assured the family that the claims will be examined and that action will be taken if any wrongdoing is found.
The case began with Ghosh’s arrest in connection with a shooting reported on 5 August at a liquor and gambling den in Liluah’s Burma Colony. A judge subsequently ordered that he be placed in jail custody. The report does not provide further details about the criminal case, the specific charges against him, or the stage of the proceedings.
Ghosh’s mother, Sudha Devi, told the publication that she met her son in the correctional home on the Friday before his hospitalisation. During that meeting, he allegedly told her that he was unwell and needed to be admitted to hospital. The family then approached the correctional authorities through Ghosh’s lawyer, seeking his hospitalisation, according to the report.
The family says that the authorities did not respond to the request before Ghosh’s condition became critical. On the following Saturday afternoon, Sudha Devi was reportedly informed by the jail that her son was seriously ill and had been admitted to Howrah District Hospital. The report says his condition subsequently worsened, he was moved to an intensive care unit and later died.
The account of the reported medical explanation differs from the family’s allegation. Sudha Devi said doctors told the family that Ghosh’s liver had deteriorated because of substance use and that this had caused his death. She rejected that explanation, saying her son did not use intoxicants excessively. She alleged instead that he had been given something poisonous inside the correctional home and that he had not received timely medical treatment after falling ill.
These competing accounts leave the cause of death unresolved in the material currently available. The report does not include a post-mortem finding, toxicology report, hospital record, death certificate, prison medical record or statement from the correctional home authorities. It also does not specify when Ghosh was first examined by medical staff, what symptoms he developed, what treatment he received before hospitalisation or whether any internal inquiry has begun.
That missing information is central to the case. A custodial death requires the authorities to establish not only the medical cause of death but also the sequence of events inside the facility: when the inmate first complained of illness, who assessed him, whether hospitalisation was recommended, when the family’s request was received and what action followed. Without those records, it is not possible to determine whether the allegations of poisoning or delayed treatment are supported.
The episode also highlights the institutional responsibility involved when a person is held in judicial custody. Once an inmate is inside a correctional facility, the state and its designated authorities control access to healthcare, food, visitors and emergency treatment. That makes documentation and independent scrutiny particularly important when an inmate dies after reportedly becoming ill in custody.
The supplied report identifies the district administration as the authority that assured the family that its allegations would be examined. It does not state whether the administration has ordered a formal inquiry, whether police have registered a separate case, whether a magistrate has been asked to investigate or whether prison officials have been suspended or questioned. It also does not report any response from the correctional home, the hospital or the investigating agency.
For now, the confirmed information in the supplied material is limited. Prosenjit Ghosh was arrested after the reported 5 August shooting in Liluah, placed in judicial custody, became seriously ill, was admitted to Howrah District Hospital and died after his condition worsened. His family has alleged poisoning and delayed medical care, while the medical explanation conveyed to the family reportedly referred to severe liver damage linked to substance use. The competing claims require documentary and medical verification.
The next significant developments will be the findings of any administrative or judicial inquiry, the post-mortem and toxicology results, the correctional home’s medical records and the official account of the steps taken after Ghosh reported feeling unwell. Until those records are made available, the allegations should remain treated as allegations rather than established facts.
