‘Killer’ betrayed: Prisoner climbs overhead tank, attempts suicide

He climbed the tank after he learnt that his co-accused gave a statement against him to police

MULTAN:

A murder suspect on Friday climbed atop the water tank of a prison and later attempted suicide after he learned that his girlfriend had given a statement against him.

Police said Ghulam Muhammad, 25, had been taken to the district jail in Multan from Shah Shamas police station for identification in a murder case where an FIR had been registered against him for killing the driver of his girl friend, Najba Bibi.

Following the identification parade, he learnt that Bibi had given a statement to police against him.

Her statement said he had killed the deceased at her request.

Muhammad demanded to see his girl friend and threatened to jump if she was not called. He stayed on top of the tank for over five hours.

Multan police and prison administrations then arranged a meeting for the couple and Bibi was brought over.

Muhammad asked Najba why she had betrayed him.

Najba asked him to climb down and assured him that she had not given a statement against him.

She told him that the police had had added her statement by against her wishes.

She also apologised to him for not being able to contact him for the last two weeks while the police were investigating.

The man was not satisfied with her replies and hung himself from a rope.

Rescued 1122 officials intervened and pulled him down. He was taken to Nishtar Medical Hospital, a minute’s drive from the prison, in an unconscious state.

The couple are accused of murdering a driver after an altercation over money in September 2014.

Police said Najba’s husband Muhammad Hasan had bought a wagon in Nowshera and had hired Sahibuddin to drive it. They said Najba and Ghulam Muhammad had killed the driver after he proposed to marry Najba. They said the driver was apparently also been stealing from her.

They said Hasan had been awarded given 50 years imprisonment in a kidnapping for ransom case and was undergoing his term at the Central Prison on Multan.

Punjab Prisons Inspector General Farooq Nazeer told The Express Tribune that Ghulam Muhammad would be prosecuted in two additional cases – attempting suicide and interfering in government affairs.

He said FIRs of these cases had been registered.

Prisons DIG Mubashir Malik was tasked with investigating the incident. He has been directed to submit a report within 24 hours.

Nishtar Hospital Medical Superintendent Ashiq Malik has appointed a general physician and a psychologist for to treat Muhammad. Najba was taken back to the women’s prison after the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2014.