Overview

• Chhota Shyamlal Dehri was discovered hanging in his allotted cottage during the May 31 morning headcount after guards forced entry when he failed to respond.
• He surrendered on April 22, 2020, following a land dispute, was transferred to Hazaribagh Open Jail on February 9, 2021, and faced trial in eight Naxal-related criminal cases.
• Officials noted no prior signs of mental illness, though a fellow inmate said Dehri had expressed stress over unresolved land claims.
• An Unnatural Death case has been registered at Lohsinghana police station and the National Human Rights Commission has been notified for further investigation.
• Dehri’s death underscores the open jail’s rehabilitative shortcomings, especially its absence of institutionalised psychological support amid a recent surge of jail suicides in Jharkhand.