Undertrial accused of triple murders dies by suicide in Parbhani jail

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 35-year-old undertrial prisoner at Parbhani district jail allegedly died by suicide in the early hours of Friday, reigniting concerns over the need for stronger administrative oversight within the prison system.Jail authorities identified the deceased as Raju Govind Adkine of Darephal village in Hingoli district's Vasmat taluka. According to prison officials, Adkine was found hanging in the bathroom of barrack number 1 during routine morning checks. He reportedly used a shawl provided as bedding to hang himself from the bathroom window grille.Adkine had been lodged in the district prison since March 21, 2022, as an undertrial in a case registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code at the Tadkalas police station. He was accused of murdering his mother, maternal aunt and uncle at Asola village in Parbhani taluka. The prison officials confirmed that Adkine had been receiving psychiatric treatment during his incarceration, as he had shown signs of mental distress for an extended period.The prison authorities informed senior officials and shifted the body to Parbhani district civil hospital, where an in-camera panchnama was conducted in the presence of a judicial magistrate. An accidental death case has been registered at the Nanalpeth police station.Assistant superintendent of police Jiwan Beniwal, along with senior prison officials and staff, were present during the procedural formalities. A senior prison department official said, "We were aware that the undertrial was depressed and mentally unwell for some time. A detailed report has been sought and appropriate action will be taken based on the inquiry findings."Police said further investigation was on to determine if there were lapses in supervision or prison protocols. The post-mortem report and inquiry findings were awaited.