Undertrial prisoner in Arthur road jail commits suicide

An undertrial prisoner lodged in Arthur road jail committed suicide by hanging himself on Monday morning. The prisoner has been identified as Sabirali Garibulla Shaikh (26) and has three murder cases registered against him.

According to the police, the incident took place on Monday, at around 4 am inside the mental ward of the hospital of Arthur Road jail. The police said Shaikh was arrested by MIDC police around two years ago on charges of murder and attempt to murder and was in judicial custody since then. The police said, Shaikh was mentally unsound and was admitted to the hospital inside the jail. On Monday, at around 4 am when prison night guards on duty went to check on prisoners, they saw Shaikh hanging.

"Shaikh had torn the bedsheet and tied it on the door's rod to hang self. We immediately rushed him to JJ hospital where he was declared dead. We have informed his family members and the body will be handed over to them after the postmortem," said a prison officer.

"Shaikh was undergoing psychiatric treatment since past one year and was hospitalised in a mental ward of the hospital. He had attempted to commit suicide twice, but it was averted. We have not found any suicide note from the spot." said Rajwardha Sinha, Inspector General of police(Prison)

The NM Joshi Marg police, under whose jurisdiction the jail falls, have registered an Accidental Death Report in the matter and are probing the incident.

"We have registered an ADR and probing the matter. We will be recording the statements of other inmates in jail along with the guards who spotted him hanging," said a police officer from NM Joshi Marg police station.