A man imprisoned for 14 days after his mobile phone rang inside the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court has died in custody under controversial circumstances.

He was initially detained for disrupting court proceedings while attempting to post bail for a traffic violation case.

Prison authorities claim he died of sudden illness, but the family alleges he was assaulted, citing a post-mortem report showing brain damage and internal bleeding.

The Prisons Department has launched an internal investigation, alongside a police inquiry, to determine the cause of death.