3 min readNew DelhiSep 18, 2014 03:55 AM IST
First published on: Sep 18, 2014 at 03:55 AM IST
Preliminary inquiry into the deaths of two prisoners — both suspected suicides — at Tihar this month has revealed that the two prisoners were suffering from depression. According to the inquest proceedings, conducted by an SDM, one of them feigned illness while the other killed himself just a day after he was removed from the suicide watch list.
Serajuddin, whose body was found hanging in the toilet of Jail Number 8,9, had tried convincing the jail doctors to stop his transit to a court in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a dowry case.
On the morning of September 14, hours before his body was found, he had visited the jail doctor and claimed that he would not be able to travel on account of his illness. The jail doctors checked him and found him to be fit to travel for his court appearance.
During the inquiry, Serajuddin’s cell mates reportedly told officials that he did not want to face his in-laws at the Bijnor court.
Serajuddin also told them that he did not want to stay outside Tihar and had deliberately gotten himself arrested under charges of electricity theft in 2012.
Police said he had been arrested in connection with a murder case in Welcome Colony in 2010 but was out on bail when he was arrested for electricity theft.
The jail doctors have told officials that Serajuddin had met them twice to convince them that he was unwell.
The other inmate, Amalkar Nabokar, a resident of Tughlakabad in New Delhi, was on the suicide watch list of Tihar authorities. Despite that, his body was found hanging in the toilet of Jail Number 3 on September 2.
Police said Nabokar was arrested for the murder of his wife on August 7 and had been admitted to AIIMS after he consumed a poisonous substance.
He was later admitted to the casualty ward at Tihar jail, where he was under constant watch for 10 days. On the 10th day, when he showed signs of improving, he was shifted to a ‘low threat’ ward in the casualty. It was then that he committed suicide.
Nabokar, authorities said, had attempted suicide by hanging from a window grill at his house in Tughlqabad, just minutes after murdering his wife on the night of August 7. However, the rope gave way after which he attempted to end his life by consuming a poisonous substance.
Police told jail authorities that he had a property dispute with his wife, because of which he killed her.
Of the 32 deaths in Tihar this year, five were suicides. Following two cases of suicide in the last fortnight, a workshop to be conducted by lawyers and doctors from Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences and AIIMS is being held later this month.
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