Child murder accused dies by suicide in Ranchi police station lockup
Ranchi: A man accused of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old boy allegedly died by suicide inside the lockup of Namkum police station in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, police said on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Jagay Munda, 45, a resident of Khunti district. He had been arrested on March 4 in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a minor boy in the Namkum police station area.
According to police, Munda was kept in the lockup at Namkum police station after his arrest and was scheduled to be produced in court on Thursday to be sent to judicial custody.
Police said the accused hanged himself late at night using a bedsheet provided to him in the lockup.
The incident came to light on Thursday afternoon, triggering panic at the police station. Senior officers, including the station in charge and other officials, rushed to the spot after being informed.
Ranchi’s Superintendent of Police, Rural, Praveen Pushkar, said the body was taken out of the lockup in the presence of a magistrate and sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for post-mortem examination.
He added that the post-mortem will be conducted under the supervision of a magistrate, and the entire procedure will be videographed to ensure transparency.
According to the police investigation, Munda had allegedly kidnapped the 12-year-old son of a woman in the Namkum area. He reportedly lured the child and later took him to the Ramgarh area, where he allegedly murdered him and buried the body.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests that the crime was linked to a personal dispute. The accused was reportedly in a relationship with the boy’s mother, but tensions arose after the woman became involved with another man.
Investigators believe this conflict may have prompted the accused to target the woman’s son.
An FIR had been registered at Namkum police station under relevant sections related to kidnapping and murder.
Meanwhile, the death of the accused in police custody has raised questions about security and surveillance inside the lockup. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, and the police department is also conducting an internal probe to determine whether there was any lapse on its side.