Undertrial found hanging in Tihar Jail

A 38-year-old undertrial prisoner was found hanging in Tihar Jail on Sunday.

The jail authorities suspect suicide, but Mohammed Shirajuddin’s family has alleged foul play claiming there were injury marks on the body.

Sources said Shirajuddin’s body was discovered in the toilet by other inmates of jail number 8 around 2 p.m.

Shirajuddin was an under-trial in a murder case and was in jail since March 8. He used to live in Ghazipur with his wife and 11-year-old son. Sources said he was accused of killing his wife.

A few hours later, a team of local police had informed Shirajuddin’s sister Irfana about his death.

“The policemen went to Irfana’s house in Bhajanpura and gave her a note stating that Shirajuddin had committed suicide,” said his brother Mohammed Akil.

Shirajuddin’s family reached the jail around 8 p.m., but the body had been shifted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post-mortem by then. Akil added that Shirajuddin was regularly harassed by the jail officials.

“There are hundreds of prisoners in the jail, but nobody saw anything. The sequence of events provided by the jail authorities is difficult to believe. Shirajuddin’s friend in jail, who was recently released on bail, told us that he was harassed by the officials there,” added Akil.

No official from Tihar was available for a comment.