Manikandan (29) of Chinnabargur in Krishnagiri district, a life convict in the Central Prison for Men, Vellore, who was undergoing treatment for mental illness in the Prison Hospital committed suicide by jumping into the well on the prison premises in the early hours of Friday.
He was undergoing life sentence in a murder case since April last year. Manikandan, who was a drug addict, had murdered his wife in his house in Chinnabargur in 2012. According to sources in the Bagayam police station, the prison authorities complained in the morning that Manikandan was missing. Later, his body was found in the prison well in the afternoon. While the well was kept closed, Manikandan had broken open the lock of the iron grill lid covering the well, bent the rusted rods and jumped into it.
V. Karuppannan, Superintendent of the Prison told The Hindu that Manikandan was mentally disturbed and was undergoing treatment in the Prison Hospital for the last one year. He had escaped from the hospital and took this extreme step.
Two prison officials — Neelakandan, Chief Head Warder and Thangamuthu, Grade-I Head Warder, who were directly in charge of the convict — have been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Charges under 17 (B) of the Prison Rules have been issued against Sardar Basha, Assistant Jailor and charges under 17-A of the Rules issued against Kalidas, Deputy Jailor, who were in charge of the area where the hospital and well were located.
