Muzaffarnagar: Jail inmate found hanging, family alleges murder

MUZAFFARNAGAR: An undertrial, Mohammed Shahid (25), was found hanging from a “gamcha” (a towel used as a stole) at the gate of the barrack in

Muzaffarnagar

district

jail

early on Monday.

While jail authorities suspect that Shahid took his own life, his

family

has cried foul and demanded that a murder case be registered. The family claimed that Shahid had been granted bail and would be out of jail within a couple of days. Jail authorities have rubbished the claim.

Muzaffarnagar jail superintendent AK Saxena said he is probing the matter himself and has also requested

CJM

to set up a magisterial investigation of the matter.

Saxena said, “Shahid committed suicide by hanging himself. No jail official was present at the spot at that time.” Besides, jail authorities have not received any orders to release him on bail as being alleged on social media, he added.

Police

said Shahid was arrested from Shiv Chowk in the city on June 26 last year. He was booked under the

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act

, (

NDPS

) Act for having in his possession a large number of narcotic pills. He himself used to take them.

Police sources said earlier he was arrested in an attempt to murder case but released on bail.

After learning about Shahid’s death, his family members on Tuesday gathered outside the collectorate, demanding a fair investigation of the matter. His mother, Zubaida, alleged, “He was murdered by the jail administration. I want justice.”

Deceased's brother, Zahid Ahmed, wondered why would Shahid wanted to end his life when “he was about to be released from jail as his lawyer was working to get him out on bail”.


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