Ghaziabad, Oct 22 (IANS) Senior judicial, police and civil officers inspected Dasna Jail here following the death of Ashutosh Asthana, prime accused as well as witness in a corruption case involving judges of the higher judiciary, and found the medical and other facilites lacking. The statement of Asthana’s wife was also recorded Thursday.
The district judge recorded the statement of Sushma Asthana and others. The judge procured copies of documents related to the treatment and death of Asthana. He was accompanied by the district magistrate and the police chief in his inspection of the jail, said Ravinder Kumar Vashishtha, public relation officer of Ghaziabad police.

“We found deficiencies in the kitchen. The staff was found deficient in preparing food. We have ordered that the staff be increased and hygienic conditions in kitchen and barracks be improved,” said District Magistrate R. Ramesh Kumar.

“We inspected the in and out note book, the pad locks and certain civil works being carried out in the jail. SSP Akhil Kumar and the district judge were also on the inspection visit. Regarding the jail hospital, we have written to the Uttar Pradesh administration to increase the staff and a doctor, but no posting has been ordered so far,” added the district magistrate.

Earlier, the additional district magistrate City Sunil Kumar Srivastava visited the jail and found shortcomings in the jail administration.

“To handle over 4,700 inmates and undertrials, there is just one senior doctor and a single pharmacist. How can they handle such a large rush? They have just basic life saving medicines. For serious complications or diseases, they neither have any doctor nor medicines to cure them,” Srivastava had said.

Terming Dasna Jail hospital as just a “medical clinic”, Srivastava had said the hospital had no emergency measures to look after a patient inmate.