Transgender undertrial tries to end life in Thane jail

A 25-year-old transgender undertrial tried to commit suicide inside the Thane Central Jail, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Monday night, a police official said.

"Komal Ghanashyam Chowdhari has been facing trial in a murder case. Around 9 pm on October 28, a jail staffer spotted her trying to commit suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan in the cell," sub-inspector S S Kulkarni of Thane Nagar police station said.

The jail staffer raised an alarm, following which other personnel rushed to the cell and rescued Chowdhari. Doctors at the jail checked her and declared that she was out of danger, he said.

"After the incident, the ceiling fan was removed from her cell. However, Chowdhari then broke a tubelight and swallowed its glass pieces. However, it did not cause much injury to her," he added.

Next day, she asked the jail authorities to take her to a civil hospital. But when they turned down her demand, she banged her own head against a tap and suffered injuries, Kulkarni said.

Based on a complaint filed by a jail official, an offence was registered against Chowdhari under IPC sections 309 (attempt to commit suicide), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and also section 45 of the Prisons Act, 1894, he said.