66 inmates died in Chhattisgarh jails since January 2025, govt. tells Assembly; tribal leader’s custodial death triggers uproar

Opposition members caused an uproar in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly on Thursday (February 26, 2026) over the recent custodial death of a tribal leader after the State government informed the House that 66 inmates had died in the State’s jails between January 2025 and January 31 this year.

During the question hour, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel asked a question on the number of custodial deaths in State’s jails in the past 13 months. He also asked whether judicial inquiries in all such cases had been completed in accordance with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma replied that 66 inmates, including convicts, died in central and district jails across the State during the 13 months ended on January 31, 2026. Of these, inquiries by judicial magistrates, mandatory in custodial deaths, have been completed in 18 deaths, and the process was under way in other cases, he added in his reply.

Following this, Mr. Baghel raised the issue of tribal leader Jeevan Thakur, who died on December 4 last year after falling ill while in judicial custody, and sought details of the case.

Mr. Sharma told the House that Thakur was initially lodged in a jail in Kanker district and later shifted to a prison in the State capital Raipur following a court order. After his health deteriorated, Thakur was admitted to the Raipur district hospital and later to the State-run Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Ranchi, where he died during treatment, he added.

A committee was constituted to conduct an inquiry into the death as per procedure, Mr. Sharma said. The Opposition MLAs, including Mr. Baghel and Savitri Manoj Mandavi, questioned the circumstances around his death and claimed that he had been implicated in a false case.

Thakur, Mr. Baghel alleged, was diabetic and did not receive timely medication in prison, and there were complaints that the jail superintendent ignored doctors’ advice and denied proper medical care to him.

He also demanded that a committee of the Assembly probe the matter.

The Deputy CM then said that the judicial inquiry process should first be allowed to conclude. As the Congress MLAs stood up and raised slogans against the government, the Speaker attempted to restore order in the House. However, the Opposition members staged a walkout from the House.