Piran Ditta Khan, who was jailed for the murder of police officer PC Sharon Beshenivsky, died in prison from natural causes, a coroner has concluded. Mr Khan died at HMP Wakefield on 21 February 2025, aged 76, less than a year after his conviction.
Wakefield Coroner's Court heard that Mr Khan died from complications associated with lung cancer. Assistant coroner Naomi McLoughlin stated the cause of death was bronchial pneumonia, in association with multiple strokes and cancer of his right lung. The coroner noted that the strokes could have been caused by the cancer.
Mr Khan was the mastermind of a 2005 armed robbery in Bradford during which PC Beshenivsky was shot dead. He was serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years, having been on the run for 15 years before his arrest in 2020 and extradition to the UK in 2023.