Two inmates serving life sentences for murder at Delhi’s Tihar Jail died on Friday after allegedly slipping into a rain-filled stormwater drain during cleaning duty. Officials said the incident occurred around 8:30 am in Jail No. 8, where the prisoners had been assigned to clear the clogged drain.
According to jail staff, both men were discovered unconscious in the water and immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors declared them dead on arrival. The bodies were sent to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post-mortem to confirm the cause of death.
In response, authorities initiated a judicial inquiry, a police investigation, and a departmental probe. Three jail officials — a deputy jailer, an assistant jailer, and a warden — were suspended pending the outcome of the investigations.
Sources confirmed that investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the prison and interviewing both inmates and staff who were present at the time. The Delhi Police is conducting its own parallel inquiry, while Tihar Jail’s Deputy Inspector General is personally overseeing the internal investigation.
The Delhi Prisons Department is expected to submit a preliminary report to the Director General (Prisons). Officials say the focus is on determining whether negligence or procedural lapses contributed to the tragedy.
The incident has raised concerns over inmate safety, supervision during work duties, and the maintenance of prison infrastructure, especially during the monsoon season when drains and water channels are prone to flooding