Drug case accused hangs self in jail's quarantine centre

A 43-year-old jail inmate, arrested in a narcotics case, allegedly committed suicide on Thursday in Taloja prisons quarantine centre in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, an official said.

The inmate was identified as Mohammed Suleman, a resident of Dariyaganj in New Delhi.

Suleman was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Delhi Unit, in a narcotics case and lodged at Navi Mumbais Taloja Central Jail under magisterial custody, the official said.

He was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Due to the spread of Covid-19 in the prison, some of the inmates have been shifted to the jail's quarantine centre set up in a nearby school in Kharghar, he said.

Suleman was one of these inmates, but he was not infected with Covid-19, the official said.

On Thursday around 1 am, Suleman went to the quarantine facility's toilet and hanged himself using a towel, the official said.

He was spotted hanging in the toilet by some jail staff following which police were informed about the incident, he said.

The exact reason behind the alleged suicide was not yet known, the official said.

As the accused died while in judicial custody, a judicial magistrate visited the spot along with other officials to gather details about the incident, he said.

The body was sent for post-mortem at state-run J J Hospital, he said.

An accidental death report has been registered at the Kharghar Police Station and further probe was underway, the official added.