A 38-year-old Nigerian man, Izuchukwu awaiting trial over a drug case died on Monday in Hullu sub-jail, in Himachal Pradesh, India.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Police said Izuchukwu was arrested over a drug case but suffered an acute artery stroke that took his life.
Times of India reports that Superintendent of Police in Kullu, Gurdev Sharma said he was taken to a hospital in Shimla for treatment.
Izuchukwu was said to have been living in Dwarka, New Delhi, and was arrested at Bajaura check post on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway on July 14, for possession of 1.88g of drugs. He was produced before the court and was to appear again before court on July 29.
“The Nigerian national was lodged in the sub-jail after he had been remanded by a Kullu court to 14-day judicial custody till July 29. Izuchukwu fell unconscious on Monday morning and was admitted to Kullu regional hospital,” Sharma said.
Police officials said he was in coma on Monday morning and was rushed to Kullu regional hospital for treatment. His Computed Tomography scan of the brain revealed an acute infarct involving the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA).
Sharma said the accused was referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, after primary treatment.
“His condition deteriorated in Mandi and the police team took him to Ner Chowk medical college and hospital, where the medical officer declared him dead. We are following all the required protocols and informed the Nigerian embassy. The body has been brought back to Kullu and has been kept in the mortuary. The inquest proceedings will be conducted by a magistrate,” he said.
Police investigation revealed that Izuchukwu had been arrested by Kullu police from Delhi in a similar case of supplying heroin a few years back. This time, he was coming to Kullu with the contraband in a bus, but was caught.
Kullu police have arrested more than 30 foreign nationals in connection with supply of drugs in the last three years. Most of them are Africans, who were involved in supplying heroin and chitta to many states.
