A 20-year-old undertrial lodged at Dum Dum Central Correctional Home died on Saturday, leading to allegations from his family that the jail authorities were responsible for his death.

Raj Dutta, also known as PK, died in the hospital of the correctional home early on Saturday, hours after he was shifted out of his cell for treatment, the authorities said.

Correctional administration minister Akhil Giri denied the family’s allegations and said Raj suffered a stroke.

Raj was arrested, along with several others, for his alleged involvement in the murder of Sanjib Das on April 27.

Sanjib was murdered in Paschimpara in Arjunpur, around a kilometre from Baguiati police station. The 49-year-old, who reportedly had Trinamool links, was repeatedly hit on his head with bricks and then left to die.

The police had to deploy members of the Rapid Action Force to control the situation in Paschimpara after Sanjib’s murder. Over a dozen persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing.

Raj, who then used to stay in his uncle’s house in Arjunpur, was among those arrested in the case. After a period in police custody, he was remanded in judicial custody. Relatives said he had been lodged at Dum Dum Correctional Home since.

“Around 9.30am, I received a call from one of Raj’s friends inside the jail that my son was no more. The caller kept crying,” Raj’s father Biplab Dutta told reporters.

Biplab said Raj was throwing up blood and complained of dysentery when he was produced in the Barasat court on Friday. The family members had urged the jail authorities to ensure that Raj was treated properly.

“Callousness and negligence of the jail authorities resulted in Raj’s death,” Biplab said. “Even a few days back, when I spoke to him over the phone, he seemed fine.”

Raj’s aunt said “he was possibly poisoned to death”.

Senior officials in the state correctional services department said a magisterial inquest was on to find out the conditions leading to the death of the undertrial.

Minister Giri denied the allegation that negligence led to Raj’s death.

“How would the family members know whether the inmate received proper treatment or not?” Giri asked.

“He had fallen ill on Friday during court production. After returning from court, he was admitted to the hospital in the correctional home. He suffered a stroke in the morning and died,” the minister said.