Undertrial commits suicide

EOI, Darjeeling, 25 Oct 2014: An under-trial of the Darjeeling Correctional Home committed suicide today morning at the district hospital where he was admitted on Friday with injured knees after a failed attempt to escape from one of the walls.

Puran Rai in his thirty’s is facing trial in the additional session’s court in Kalimpong accused of murdering a couple and gravely injuring a minor girl on June 19 in the Buddha Bajarey area of Gidabling. He was arrested by police the same day and was lodged in the Kalimpong correctional home before he was shifted to Darjeeling on September 9 because of overcrowding there. Rai’s father Hangjit is also a co-accused and is also lodged in the Darjeeling correctional home.

According to senior hospital officials, one of the three guards along with an ASI posted outside the correctional home cabin, first saw Rai hanging from the grille. “One of the guards posted outside the cabin first called out to Rai at around 5 am this morning, however there was no response from inside. When after repeated calls he did not get Rai’s response he unlocked the cabin door and saw the under-trial hanging from the grille of a window,” said Saikat Pradhan, the hospital superintendent. Rai was however declared dead at 7.40 am by the on-duty doctor.

According to the Darjeeling correctional home superintendent, the under-trial on Friday evening had made an attempt to climb the inner wall measuring about 15-16 feet of the correctional home. “He (Rai) probably made the attempt at around three-thirty in the evening but I was informed about it at 4 am. Our staff had seen the under-trial on the floor in pain indicating he must have fallen off the wall. He was taken to the district hospital at 7 in the evening and admitted,” said T. R. Bhutia, the correctional home superintendent, today.

On June 19, Rai had hacked to death a couple and injured their elder daughter over issues pertaining to the central government sponsored hundred days job scheme. The couple’s younger daughter miraculously managed to escape the deadly attack.

The under-trial was booked under section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) along with sections 326 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

A senior police official said, “One committed suicide today morning at the district hospital. We have to fulfill certain formalities and all legal process will be done as necessary”. Sources said a magisterial inquest and a judicial inquiry would be initiated.

The body has been sent for postmortem and will be handed over to the family for conducting the last rites.