Bengaluru: NHRC issues notice to jail authorities over convict's suicide
What's the story
Taking suo motu cognizance of a convict's alleged suicide inside Bengaluru's Parapana Agrahara Central Prison last month, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to Karnataka IG (Prisons) seeking a detailed report on the incident within six weeks. 38-year-old M Jaishankar, who was undergoing imprisonment for ten years, committed suicide by slitting his throat with a shaving-blade on 27 February. Here's more.
Information
NHRC not informed about Jaishankar's death within 24 hours
The NHRC also noted that the state authorities have not informed it within 24 hours of the prisoner's death, as per its guidelines, and hence has also sought an explanation from IG (Prisons) over not adhering to the guidelines.
Cases
Deceased was accused in 15 rape, murder cases
Jaishankar was accused in 15 cases of rape and murder; he was convicted in 3 cases. He was confined to an isolated cell, as he was a threat to other inmates, the rights panel said. NHRC observed that contents of a news report regarding the incident, if true, amount to negligence on the part of jail officials, which is a matter of serious concern.
Details
Jaishankar raped, murdered a police constable in TN
According to NHRC, inquiries have reportedly revealed that Jaishankar was being treated for depression. He was arrested after a massive manhunt in 2009, after raping and murdering a police constable in Tamil Nadu. Jaishankar escaped from judicial custody in 2013 by scaling the boundary wall of the prison, but he was rearrested. Since then, he was being kept in a separate cell, NHRC said.