BENGALURU: In yet another case of suicide inside the prison, a 36-year-old convict committed suicide inside a barrack in Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara on Thursday evening. The deceased has been identified as Masthi Kumar alias Mahesh, a native of Shivamogga. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his wife over dowry.
Earlier on February 27, serial rapist M Jaishankar alias ‘Physco’ Jaishakar had committed suicide reportedly by slitting his own throat. Despite that, the jail officials remain lackadaisical about the security at the Central Prison. Kumar had attempted suicide in July 2017 as well.
A senior officer from Central Prison told The New Indian Express: “The incident took place around 7.30pm when Kumar had come to ‘A’ barrack. While others left the barrack to watch an orchestra practice conducted by jail inmates, Kumar managed to hide himself in a corner and later used a towel to hang himself from a window grille of the barrack. The staff, however, noticed his hanging body and he was rushed to the jail hospital. He was then referred to Victoria Hospital where he was declared brought dead. He was lodged in ‘B1’ Barrack in the prison, sharing the cell with 24 other inmates since 10 months.”
Shivamogga session court had convicted Kumar in January, 2017 for murdering his wife over dowry harassment in 2015.
Meanwhile, a woman from Joga had filed a cheating case against him before he was lodged in the jail. He had allegedly conned her by taking money. He was arrested by Kargal police. He was doing odd jobs in his native Kargal.In 2017, Kumar had given cops the slip while undergoing treatment at the general ward of Victoria Hospital. The same year, he was arrested from his girlfriend’s house in Chitradurga.