Ranchi: A man accused of kidnapping and killing a 12-year-old boy allegedly took his own life inside the lockup of Namkum police station in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, police confirmed on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Jagay Munda, 45, a resident of Khunti district, who was arrested on March 4 in connection with the abduction and murder of a minor in the Namkum police station jurisdiction.
Munda had been held in the lockup following his arrest and was due to be produced before a court on Thursday for remand to judicial custody. However, police said he hanged himself late at night using a bedsheet that had been provided to him in the lockup.
The incident came to light on Thursday afternoon, sending shock waves through the police station. Senior officers, including the station in-charge, rushed to the spot upon receiving information about the death.
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 to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for post-mortem examination. He added that the procedure would be conducted under magisterial supervision and fully videographed to maintain transparency.
As per the police investigation, Munda had allegedly lured the 12-year-old son of a woman in the Namkum area, taken him to Ramgarh, and subsequently murdered him before burying the body. Preliminary findings suggest the crime stemmed from a personal dispute — the accused was reportedly in a relationship with the boy’s mother, but grew resentful after she became involved with another man, allegedly leading him to target her son.
An FIR had been registered at Namkum police station under sections pertaining to kidnapping and murder.
The death in police custody has since raised serious concerns about security and surveillance protocols within the lockup. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, and the police department has launched a parallel internal investigation to ascertain whether any procedural lapses occurred on its part.
With inputs from IANS