KOCHI: A remand prisoner lodged at the Kakkanad district prison attempted suicide on Wednesday by slashing his wrist with a razor blade.
The prisoner, Pradeep Pandey, 38, from New Delhi is at present undergoing treatment at the Kottayam medical college and is said to be out of danger. According to prison officials, the incident occurred between 2.30 p.m. and 3 p.m. after he was taken out of the cell.
“On a request, the prison guards had accompanied him to the toilet complex, and he slashed his wrist after entering the restroom. As he came out, the guards noticed blood oozing out through the cut and rushed him to the Government Medical College at Kalamassery,” said an official.
Pradeep was the third accused in a cheating case registered by the Kadavanthra police over the alleged duping of ₹1.39 crore from the proprietor of a security agency in Kochi by offering him the dealership of premium cars.
The police had earlier arrested Prakash S. Nair, Juby Mathew, and Sreelatha, the first, second, and fourth accused in the case.
Prison officials said Pradeep on Tuesday had lamented his involvement in the case and was hopeful of securing bail. “A preliminary inquiry with his fellow inmates suggested that he was deeply depressed. The razor blade used is believed to have been found abandoned on the jail premises,” officials added.
The prison authorities have sent a detailed report on the incident to the Infopark Police station. No cases have been registered.