Maharashtra: Convict serving life sentence commits suicide in jail

A 37-year-old convict serving life imprisonment allegedly committed suicide at the Harsul Central Jail in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city, an official said on Monday.

Saluji Yadav Magare hanged himself with a torn blanket from an exhaust fan inside the prison's toilet in the early hours of Sunday, jail superintendent Hiralal Jadhav told reporters here.

Magare, a resident of Thakurwadi in the neighbouring Jalna district, was serving life imprisonment for killing his wife some years back, he said.

He was in the Harsul jail since January 23, 2015, the official said, adding that a sessions court here pronounced the sentence on November 14, 2018.

Around 3.30 am on Sunday, Magare, who was lodged in barrack No. 14, went to the toilet carrying a piece of cloth which he tore from his blanket.

He allegedly hanged himself from the exhaust fan in the toilet using the torn blanket piece, the official said.

When Magare did not come out of the toilet, a sentry went to find out and saw him hanging.

The sentry then alerted the prison officials who rushed to the spot and brought Magare down.

Doctors attended to Magare at the prison but he could not be saved and was declared dead around 4.40 am, Jadhav said.

A prison official was suspended, he said, adding that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

According to Magare's family members, when they came to meet him eight-ten days ago, he told them that he was "disturbed" as his children stood as witness against him in the killing case, Jadhav said.

Magare's brother Jitendra tried to console him saying the sentence would end in 10 years, the official said.

"If Jitendra had conveyed all this to the jail administration, we would have kept an eye on Magare or arranged a counsellor for him," he said.