A 45-year-old man, Jagay Munda, accused of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old boy, was found dead by suicide in the Namkum police station lockup in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Munda, a resident of Khunti district, had been arrested on March 4 in connection with the crime.
According to the police, Munda, who was to be produced in court for judicial custody, hanged himself using a bedsheet provided in the lockup. The incident was discovered on Thursday afternoon, leading to a response from senior officers at the police station.
Ranchi’s Superintendent of Police, Rural, Praveen Pushkar, confirmed that the body was removed from the lockup in the presence of a magistrate and sent for a post-mortem examination at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). The post-mortem will be overseen by a magistrate and recorded for transparency.
Police investigations revealed that Munda had allegedly kidnapped the boy, son of a woman he was romantically involved with, leading to a personal dispute. The accused reportedly murdered the child in the Ramgarh area after tensions arose due to the woman’s relationship with another man.
The death of the accused in police custody has prompted inquiries into security measures at the lockup. A magisterial inquiry has been initiated, alongside an internal police probe to assess any potential lapses.
