Dalvinder Singh Jagpal, a 61-year-old Indian merchant detained at the maximum-security Combinado del Este prison in Cuba, has been punished with six months of complete isolation after he reported being denied medical care by prison authorities. This was revealed in a Cubanet investigation published on Wednesday.
The complaint surfaced through a phone call made on July 9 by another foreign inmate, who chose to remain anonymous, according to Cubanet.
The source reported that Lieutenant Colonel José Andrés de Valle Vázquez, head of Building 3 at the prison, ordered a six-month suspension of Jagpal's phone calls, outings from his cell, and visits, including those from Indian embassy officials in Havana, his sole consular contact.
Housed on the 4th floor, south wing of Building 3, Jagpal had been requesting dental care for severe tooth pain for weeks, Cubanet reported.
More recently, the prisoner sought treatment for a sprained ankle causing intense swelling and hindering his ability to walk. However, the prison's reeducator, First Lieutenant Yoan Quesada Alarcón, refused him any assistance, citing a lack of medical personnel, dental materials, and painkillers, as noted by the independent newspaper.
Singh Jagpal's public denunciations of neglect, dating back to mid-June, are believed to have triggered the retaliation, according to the same source.
Cubanet also highlighted that Jagpal was denied access to painkillers sent by family members from abroad, despite other inmates reportedly receiving similar aid.
This Indian citizen's case spans over two decades of documented abuses. Jagpal has been imprisoned since November 2002, far exceeding the original 10-year sentence imposed "by conviction," meaning without evidence or witnesses, for staying at a rental home with foreigners allegedly involved in a minor corruption case, Cubanet reported.
Throughout this period, he has been systematically targeted with reprisals whenever he reports his conditions or seeks consular assistance.
In January 2015, he was confined to a punishment cell known as "la Polaca" in Aguica prison, Matanzas, without calls for three months or friend visits for three years, and he reported that officials sent dangerous inmates to throw feces at him through the cell vents, according to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH).
In 2026, the harassment cycle intensified. From February 21 to March 27, he faced punitive isolation in response to his independent press statements, previous reports on the Indian prisoner's harassment indicate.
On March 21, at 2:00 a.m., the same Lieutenant Colonel Valle Vázquez and a guard stormed into his cell, forcing him to strip and squat; on April 9, similar actions were repeated by other officers, as per those reports.
Additionally, a TV remote, medications, and food sent by his daughter from abroad were reportedly confiscated or destroyed, according to the same source.
Jagpal also suffers from severe hypertension without receiving necessary medication, as reported by human rights organizations.
This imposed isolation now even severs his connection with his country's embassy, which the OCDH has criticized since 2015 for failing to make "the minimum effort" to ensure the fundamental rights of the Indian prisoner in Cuba are respected.
Understanding the Challenges Faced by Indian Prisoner in Cuba
What led to Dalvinder Singh Jagpal's isolation in the Cuban prison?
Jagpal was placed in isolation after he reported being denied medical care, including dental and treatment for a sprained ankle, and has faced repeated punitive measures for speaking out about his conditions.
How long has Dalvinder Singh Jagpal been imprisoned in Cuba?
Jagpal has been incarcerated since November 2002, far exceeding his initial 10-year sentence, which was handed down without evidence or witnesses.
What criticisms have been levied against the Indian embassy regarding Jagpal's situation?
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights criticized the Indian embassy for not making sufficient efforts to protect Jagpal's fundamental rights in Cuba.