As many as five convicts serving imprisonment in Coimbatore central prison have died due to various health issues in the past couple of weeks alone. This series of deaths has raised the hackles of social activists who question the availability of ambulance and other basic facilities made available in the central prison.
Ramasamy, a life convict who fell ill was admitted in Government medical college hospital but died later today. With his death the number of recent deaths in the central prison has mounted to five.
While 43 year old Anthony Anand, a life convict died of heart attack on August end, another convict Gurusamy, serving 5 years imprisonment in a cheating case died soon after on September 1, 2017.
Within days after that the two life convicts, Manikham (57) and Narayansamy died one after another on September 3 and 10 following various illnesses.
Social activists have raised doubts about the health, sanitation and food facilities available in the central prison. "The facilities in the prison should be upgraded as it houses over 1800 prisoners serving their prison terms", they say.