Undertrial dies by suicide at Arthur Road jail

Sheikh was dependent on alcohol and stole mobile phones for easy money

An undertrial hanged himself at Arthur Road jail on Thursday, police sources said. Mohammad Hameed Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh, 36, faced three cases of mobile theft. He was in Mumbai Central prison for the past two months.

The sources said Sheikh died by suicide in a bathroom around 5 am. Since the bathrooms at the jail do not have locks, he had kept the tap open giving others the impression that he was taking a bath. When he didn't come out for a long time, fellow inmates pushed the door to find him hanging by a bedsheet.

The police said Sheikh was dependent on alcohol and stole mobiles for easy money. "He was in the jail since November 17, 2021. He had been arrested in the past and managed to get bail, but this time nobody applied for his bail. He did not get along with his wife and she had left him," said an officer.

DCP Paramjeet Singh Dahiya told mid-day, "The investigation is going on after registering an accidental death report with the NM Joshi police. The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem."