PHITSANULOK – A man arrested for possessing seven speed pills has died while in custody at Phitsanulok prison.
Prison officials say Surat Sributra was beaten to death by other inmates following a minor argument, but his cousins suspect he may have been killed because he exposed a big drug dealer.
Police at Wang Thong station said Surat, 31, was found dead on Friday. He had been arrested on Thursday and his cousins were preparing to bail him out, but instead they were called to claim his body.
Kwanlah Upachan, 38, the deceased's aunt, said it appeared that Surat had been tied by the hands and feet before being beaten until his swollen face was barely recognisable.
She said the cousins wanted to know why the prison warder did not control the violence.
Phitsanulok prison chief Pongmitr Prasertkul said two inmates had confessed to beating Surat after he stepped on their feet.
Mr Pongmitr admitted that overcrowding was a problem in the prison. With 40-50 inmates sharing the same sleeping quarters, some conflicts took place among prisoners.