Juvenile prisoner dies at hospital in Patna

     Patna, Feb 11 (PTI) A 17-year-old boy, facing trial in a rape case, died at a hospital here on Monday a week after being admitted for treatment of meningitis, an official said.
    According to Ajay Kumar, superintendent of the remand home situated in the Gaighat area of the city, the deceased belonged to Vaishali district and had been admitted to a hospital on February 04.
     "He had been lodged here since 2017 when he was booked in a POCSO Act case which was being heard before the juvenile justice board. He had been unwell for quite sometime and was being treated. His symptoms worsened last week following which he was admitted to the NMCH hospital," the superintendent said.
     He denied media reports which quoted the boy's parents as having alleged that the inmate had been beaten up and died of injuries.
     Director, social welfare, Raj Kumar said, "There is no truth in allegations of the boy having been beaten up. Post-mortem has been conducted and there have been no reports of any injuries on his body."
     Notably, the Bihar government had recently drawn flak from the Supreme Court for poor upkeep of care units meant for minor girls and boys in course of hearing on the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal. PTI ANW NAC AQS