The inmate's lawyer alleged that he was being tortured in jail. (Representational)
A 21-year-old undertrial prisoner was found dead under mysterious circumstances at the Tihar Jail, police said today.
Police added that they were informed about the incident around 1 pm.
The prisoner was accused in a minor's rape, in outer Delhi's Ranhola area and was in jail number 5 since 2015, they said.
An official from the jail said that the inmate had allegedly banged his head against the wall and killed himself. The victim's lawyer however claimed that he was killed by a jail employee.
"Why would someone kill himself by banging their head against the wall? He was being tortured by a jail employee and he told us about it. The jail employee, on earlier occasions, had also thrashed my client", AP Singh, the victim's lawyer, told PTI.
Mr Singh said that his case was scheduled for hearing on July 11.
He also claimed that jail authorities did not inform his family about the death and they came to know about it through some acquaintances.
Police said a magisterial inquiry would be conducted into the matter.
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