**Summary:**
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken *suo motu* cognizance of the reported deaths of three prisoners in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on June 15th and 16th, 2025. The deceased include a male doctor and a female prisoner from the District Jail (reportedly due to illness), and another prisoner from the Central Jail of Varanasi (reportedly due to a heart attack). Citing concerns of potential human rights violations, the NHRC has issued notices to the Director General, Prisons, and the Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, requesting a comprehensive report within two weeks. The requested report should include inquest reports, post-mortem examination reports, initial health screening reports for all three prisoners, and magisterial inquiry reports. This action was posted by PIB Delhi on June 25th, 2025, at 3:30 PM (Release ID: 2139501).
Key Entities Referenced
National Human Rights Commission: A national human rights organization in India, responsible for investigating human rights violations.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: City in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, where the prisoner deaths occurred in jails.
Director General, Prisons: A high-ranking official in charge of the prison system in Uttar Pradesh, to whom a notice has been issued.
Varanasi Police Commissioner: The police commissioner of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to whom a notice has been issued.
District Jail: One of the jails in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where prisoners died.
Central Jail of Varanasi: Another jail in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where a prisoner died of a heart attack.
inquest and post mortem examination reports: Reports related to the death of the prisoners that are expected to be part of the detailed report.
magisterial enquiry reports: Reports related to the magisterial enquiry that are expected to be part of the detailed report.
National Human Rights Commission
NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the
reported death of three prisoners in two days in the
jails of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Issues notices to the State Director General, Prisons
and the Varanasi Police Commissioner calling for a
detailed report on the matter within two weeks
The report expected to include the inquest and post-
mortem examination reports, along with initial health
screening reports of all three prisoners, as well as
the magisterial enquiry reports
Posted On: 25 JUN 2025 3:30PM by PIB Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report
revealing the death of three prisoners in custody of the state in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, one after the other on
15th and 16th June, 2025. Reportedly, a male doctor and a female prisoner lodged in the District Jail died due
to illness, whereas another lodged in the Central Jail of Varanasi died due to heart attack.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of
human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Director General, Prisons and the Commissioner of
Police, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
The report is expected to include the inquest and post-mortem examination reports, along with initial health
screening reports of all three prisoners as well as the magisterial enquiry reports.
*****
NSK
(Release ID: 2139501)