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Suspected thief dies by suicide in Delhi police lock-up
The man was arrested for allegedly committing two thefts that day. He used a cloth, that was used for cleaning the cell and left behind by sanitation staff, to hang himself from a grill in the lock-up
A 23-year-old man arrested for two thefts in one night died by suicide by hanging himself with a cloth in the lock-up of Najafgarh police station in west Delhi on Thursday night, said police officers familiar with the matter.
The incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed at the police station, according to M Harshavardhan, deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka), and there was no evidence of foul play in the death. “However, the sentry was negligent, and we have suspended him,” said the DCP.
The officer said that a judicial magistrate is holding an inquest and that no external injuries were discovered on the deceased man’s body.
The deceased man lived in Jamia Nagar with his parents and brother and was previously arrested in two separate theft cases in 2020 and 2021, according to the police.
His most recent involvement in theft occurred in the early hours of Thursday when he entered a house in Najafgarh by unlatching a window and stole a laptop and a mobile phone, said DCP Harshavardhan. “The owner of the stolen goods awoke to the sound of his room door closing. However, the thief had escaped. He then made a police control room call at 1.40am,” said the DCP.
Half an hour later, the suspect stole a motorcycle from another Najafgarh neighbourhood, but dog barks awoke the owner, said the DCP. Even as the motorcycle owner dialled the PCR at 2.10am, the suspect managed to flee, the DCP added.
Investigating officers said that the stolen mobile phone had the “find my phone” feature and that the device was in Kapashera. “When we arrived in Kapashera, the local police had already apprehended the suspect. He was entering a construction site when he was apprehended by a guard, who called the PCR at 4.57am,” said DCP Harshavardhan.
According to police officers, the suspect was arrested and brought to Najafgarh police station after the stolen phone, laptop, and motorcycle were discovered in his possession.
“At 8pm on Thursday, he underwent a medical examination and was lodged in the police station’s lock-up. At 10.40pm, he used a cloth to hang himself from a grill at the back end of the lock-up,” the DCP said, adding that the cloth used in the suicide was used for cleaning the cell and was most likely left behind by sanitation staff.
The police are unsure why he killed himself when he was imprisoned twice previously.