Murder suspect kills self in Surat police station

A 60-year-old murder convict on Friday night committed suicide in a bathroom in the lockup of Varachha police station, Surat. The incident came to light after policemen started a hunt for the missing person and found him hanging inside.

Ravji Bamania, 60, a resident of Vejodori village in Bhavnagar district, was arrested three days back by the Varachha police. He was accused of involvement in the murder of land broker-cum-financier Laxman Baria, 70, a resident of AK Road in Varachha.

Bamania was kept in the lock-up for interrogation. On Friday night around 1 am, he went to the bathroom and hanged himself with a cloth.

His body was recovered after an hour, when the police officials grew suspicious of his absence for so long and initiated a search for him.

The dead body was sent for a post-mortem, where it was revealed that Bamania's death occurred due to strangulation.

Sources said that Bamania was tense since the moment he was arrested. The Police Station Officer (PSO), who was on duty on Friday night, is said to have been asleep during the tragedy. However, Varachha police officials refuted the claims.

"We currently know that Bamania has committed suicide, and are looking into the matter. Claims that the PSO was sleeping are false. However, a case has been registered and proper investigations will be done," said RS Patel, police inspector with Varachha police station.