38-year-old Nigerian man identified as Izuchukwu David, arrested over a drug case and lodged in Kullu sub-jail, a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, has died after suffering acute stroke.
The undertrial suspect died in Mandi district on Monday, July 18, 2022, while he was being taken to a hospital in Shimla for treatment, police said on Tuesday.
Izuchukwu who was living in Dwarka, New Delhi, and was arrested at Bajaura check post on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway on July 14, 2022, for possession of 1.88g of drugs. He was produced before the court and ordered police custody till July 29.
Police officials said he fell unconscious on Monday morning and was rushed to Kullu regional hospital for treatment.
A CT scan of his brain showed an acute infarct involving the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA).
Kullu Superintendent of Police, SP Gurdev Sharma said the accused was referred to 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.