Ranchi, Jan. 5: Perturbed by the increasing number of custodial deaths in the state, Jharkhand High Court converted a letter into a public interest litigation to ascertain the facts of the matter.

A letter written by a law student, Praveen Kejrival, has exposed the plight of prisoners lodged in Godda sub-jail.

Kejrival, pursuing studies in Gujarat, is a resident of Pathargama block in Godda and had done his internship in the Godda district court. While working as an intern under Godda additional district judge Subodh Kumar in the civil court, Kejrival got an opportunity to meet undertrial prisoners who were brought to the court.

Kejrival was informed that the inmates are subjected to torture and live under inhuman conditions. Moved by the hardships faced by the prisoners, Kejrival wrote a letter on December 2 to the chief justice requesting him to treat his letter as a PIL and take action in the matter.

Kejrival has further stated that the jail authorities also turn a deaf ear to the plights of the prisoners who are left to suffer with no one to help them. The letter also mentions three inmates — Halimuddin Ansari, Deva Pahadia and Shankar Yadav — who died in custody.