A former Maoist, Chota Shyamlal Dehri, was found dead in the Hazaribag Open Jail in Jharkhand on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Officials reported that the 30-year-old's body was discovered hanging in his cell after he was marked missing during the morning headcount. Jail authorities alerted the police, who arrived after medical personnel pronounced Dehri dead at the scene.

Hazaribag Central Jail's Superintendent, Jitendra Kumar, confirmed that Dehri had surrendered in Dumka in 2020 and was subsequently transferred to the open jail on February 9, 2021. At the time of his death, Dehri was facing trial in eight pending criminal cases related to Naxal activities. He was also known by the aliases Santu Dehri and Somlal Dehri. Dehri hailed from Dukhan Dehri village in Jharkhand's Dumka district and was unmarried. He lived alone in one of the 100 cottages provided for surrendered Naxals at the open jail, which Kumar described as a rehabilitation facility rather than a typical prison. Each inmate has an individual unit that includes a room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

According to reports, Dehri had joined the Naxal outfit due to a land dispute in his village, hoping they would help resolve the issue. However, he became disillusioned when that didn't happen and surrendered on April 22, 2020. Authorities found his body after security personnel conducting morning rounds received no response when they knocked on his door. They forcibly opened the door and found him dead. A wire was tied to a hook, and then a rope was used. The room was not under CCTV surveillance, as the surrender prison does not follow the standard high-security setup of regular prisons.

While officials stated that Dehri had not shown signs of mental illness during his stay and was not under psychiatric care, a fellow inmate revealed that Dehri had occasionally spoken of stress over unresolved land disputes. Superintendent Kumar noted that inmates with psychiatric issues are typically referred to Ranchi for treatment. However, another official admitted to a lack of regular psychological counseling at the facility due to a serious staff crunch. They mentioned that while NGOs sometimes conduct small sessions, these are not regular or institutionalized.

The jail administration has launched a probe into the death to determine the exact cause. Dehri's body was sent to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination and other medicolegal formalities. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other concerned departments have also been notified about the incident, as per protocol. While official information indicates that no suicide incidents have been reported in the Hazaribagh Open Jail in recent years, it was noted that four such cases have occurred in jails across the state in the last two to three months. These incidents have been reported to the NHRC.