POCSO case accused commits suicide in Kerala prison

Kannur: An accused in a POCSO case committed suicide in his cell at the Kannur central jail on Wednesday morning, a prison official said.

A senior prison official said 37-year-old Biju, accused of sexually assaulting his own daughter, was found hanging in a corner of his cell around 6.15 AM and was rushed to the hospital by 6.20 AM.

However, his life could not be saved.

The accused, who was sent to the central jail from Mananthavady jail in February this year, hanged himself inside his cell using a towel.

The accused was also undergoing treatment for TB and had mood-outs in connection with that, the officer said, adding that as a result of his illness he was being kept in a prison cell on his own.

Besides that, no one from his family was visiting him as it was his wife who had lodged the complaint against him for allegedly sexually assaulting his own daughter.

A post-mortem would be carried out and then the body would be handed over to the family for the last rites, he added.