India, June 6 -- A 24-year-old under-trial was killed inside the court lock-up at the Saket courts complex in south Delhi even as police stood outside, fumbling with the locks.

The incident took place on Wednesday around 9.50am inside Kharja No. 5, one of several rooms in the lock-up block, where he was allegedly assaulted by two fellow inmates. The assault - swift, brutal, and witnessed by 34 other prisoners - has raised serious questions about custodial security and the protocol breach that allowed inmates with known hostility to be confined together.

According to police, the victim, Aman Poddar, had been in jail since 2017 in connection with a murder case. He was awaiting court production when the assault took place.

Police said the...