CHENNAI: A 42-year-old man who was convicted in the 2018 gang rape of an 11-year-old girl allegedly killed himself in Puzhal prison here on Wednesday. His body has been sent to a government hospital.
The deceased identified as Palani was one of the five convicts who were sentenced to life terms in the case that sent shock waves across the country.
Of the 22 men accused of gang-raping the speech and hearing impaired child, 17 were convicted by the trial court. One of the convicts had died due to illness and 16 others are serving their jail terms.
The convicts were working as security guards, lift operators, plumbers and so on in the apartment complex where the child was residing.
Palani was working as a plumber in the apartment complex and was named as accused no. 11 in the case. An advocate who represented him in the trial said Palani was depressed after his arrest in the case. The appeal filed by Palani in the Madras High Court was not yet numbered by the court registry and hence was yet to be taken for hearing.
A prison official said the deceased had hanged himself inside a toilet in the premises around 3pm. It is learnt that the body of the deceased will be preserved until his COVID-19 test result.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)