COIMBATORE: A 42-year-old rape convict, undergoing imprisonment for life, was found hanging in the Coimbatore Central Prison on Wednesday. The deceased, R Srinivasan of Rangasamuthram, near Sathyamangalam in Erode district, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016 by the Erode District Sessions Court in a rape case which took place in 2015.
After the conviction, he was lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison. On Wednesday at 6.20 am, while assembling the prisoners for roll call, Srinivasan was found to be missing. Following a search, he was found hanging in a room near the cell where he was lodged. He was rushed to hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead. On a complaint from prison authorities, the Race Course police registered a case and are conducting further investigations.
“We have been taking steps to prevent suicidal tendency from developing in prisoners. Till the last day, we did not find any negative sign in Srinivasan. He was found to be normal,” Prison Superintendent M Senthil Kumar told Express.
“However, Srinivasan hanged himself in the room after leaving the cell on Wednesday morning, due to depression. We will give more attention to preventing such incidents in future,” he added.
