Bhubaneswar, July 31: The wife of Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chief Pradeep Sethy, an accused in money laundering case, claimed that her husband tried to kill himself at Jharapada jail today after being denied proper medical care.

However, jail authorities denied the allegations, saying Sethy was trying to threaten the authorities out of sheer frustration.

Sethy's wife Kavita said he had called her in the morning. "My husband has severe diabetes, and he has been suffering from cervical spondylosis since February. Though he is demanding proper treatment, the jail authorities have denied him any.

"He told me that he felt severe pain last night and asked the authorities to take him to a hospital, but they did not listen to him. So, he tried to kill himself by banging his head on the iron bar of the jail ward," alleged Kavita.

She also suspects that her husband has tried to slash his wrist. "I visited the jail thrice today to meet him and ask about his health condition, but the jail authorities did not allow me to meet him," she said.

The jail authorities, however, refuted all the allegations. They said Sethy created a scene last night and threatened to bang his head against the iron bars of his cell.

"A team of doctors from Capital Hospital examined him and found him to be fine. However, we have increased security around his cell," said a jail official.

Additional director-general of police (prisons) Arun Kumar Ray said a senior official of the department would conduct a probe to ascertain the truth in the allegation.

"Adequate medical care is being provided to the jail inmates, and in emergency cases, we do hospitalise them," said Ray.

Sethy has been on judicial remand in Jharapada jail since May 2013. In May 2014, the CBI took over the investigations following a Supreme Court order.

The CBI had submitted two charge sheets against Sethy and other accused in the case.

In April, Sethy had sparked off a controversy after giving a telephonic interview to a vernacular news channel from court premises while being produced in the court.

While undertrial prisoners are not allowed to use mobile phone during transit to court or hospital without prior permission from the competent authority, Sethy had given the telephonic interview for around five minutes.

Moreover, Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra aka Lulu had accused food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma of receiving an SUV as a gift from Sethy. The AT chief, however, refuted the claim.