Gurgaon: A murder convict lodged in Bhondsi jail since 2017 allegedly attempted to end his life on Wednesday.
Prison authorities said that Surjit Kataria tried to hang himself from the window grille of his cell in the morning but was saved by the jail warden and two guards. Kataria is recovering at the jail hospital, officials said.
Though Kataria, convicted in three cases including a murder, has alleged that he tried to commit suicide as he could no more bear the harassment meted out to him by the jail warden, authorities have refuted the claims.
Bhondsi prison superintendent Harinder Singh said Kataria had conspired with four fellow prisoners — Wazir Singh, Inderjeet, Rakesh alias Dumpar and Sonu — to stage a suicide attempt “to put pressure on us”.
“This was after prison guards recently seized a smart phone from his possession during a routine inspection. He is hardcore criminal and a trouble maker. We are keeping a close watch on all murder convicts,” Singh said.
On the complaint of a deputy jailor, a case has been registered under sections 309 (attempts to commit suicide), 107 (misrepresentation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC at the Bhondsi police station against Kataria and the four others.
Police spokesperson Subhash Boken said, “Jail officials have provided us with the CCTV footage to substantiate their claims, and an investigation is underway.”