BIRGUNJ, Aug 12: Tension flared in Birgunj on Tuesday after the death of a 28-year-old prisoner, with family members claiming he died due to denial of prison authority to provide him timely medical treatment.
RahuI Sah Turaha, a resident of Birgunj Metropolitan City-25, had been serving a sentence for homicide at Birgunj Prison for the past five years. According to relatives, his condition worsened early Tuesday morning, prompting prison police to take him to Narayani Hospital.
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Doctors reportedly advised immediate ICU admission due to severe bleeding from his mouth and critical health status. However, the family alleges that when ICU beds were unavailable and doctors referred him to another hospital, police stopped the transfer, citing an order from the Chief District Officer (CDO).
“We had already placed him in the ambulance when a police officer said we couldn’t take him elsewhere,” said Jagdish Sah Turaha, Rahul’s cousin, “They refused to listen, and because of that, my brother didn’t get proper treatment.”
Following his death, enraged relatives and locals burned tires on the streets, demanding action against those responsible and proper compensation for the family.
Meanwhile, CDO Ganesh Aryal rejected the accusations, stating that he personally coordinated to arrange an ICU bed at the hospital. “His condition was already extremely critical due to a heart attack in prison. Despite doctors’ best efforts, he could not be saved,” Aryal said.
Dr Uday Narayan Singh of Narayani Hospital confirmed the cause of death as pulmonary edema (heart failure), adding that Rahul’s condition was critical upon arrival and hospital staff attempted treatment but could not revive him. Talks between authorities and protesters are ongoing to address grievances.
