In a tragic incident, a 31-year-old undertrial, Soham Kapse, committed suicide in Thane Jail, sparking concerns over prison surveillance as his family questions safety protocols | Representational Image
Thane: A 31-year-old undertrial prisoner committed suicide in Thane Prison on March 15 in the afternoon by hanging himself with a towel in the prison’s toilet. The accused, who had been suffering from severe depression due to isolation for over a year in jail, had expressed his distress to his brother and confessed his desire to end his life, saying that he had nothing left to live for. However, the family claimed that they were informed about his death only at 5 PM.
Soham Kapse (name changed ) was arrested in February 2024 by Bhoisar Police Station in a molestation case involving his own daughter and had been in prison since then. He had applied for bail in the POCSO case before the Bombay High Court, but the court rejected his plea on the grounds that, if released, there was a possibility of him harassing the victim—his daughter—and the complainant, his wife.
The suicide was confirmed by Thane Jail Superintendent Rani Bhosale, but she did not disclose further details.
Speaking to FPJ, the deceased’s brother, questioned the prison authorities’ surveillance. “This incident happened in broad daylight, despite the presence of so many police officials monitoring the prisoners. If such an incident can occur in a high-security area, what does that say about the safety of those behind bars? He sounded stressed during our last mulakat and had complained about not receiving enough food in prison.”
His estranged wife, who had been living separately from him, said, “Soham was accused of taking my 12-year-old daughter on a rickshaw ride and touching her inappropriately. I had gathered the courage to approach the police and file a case against him. He kept begging for forgiveness, but how could I forgive him for such a crime—especially when the victim was my own daughter? I had stayed silent when he used to physically abuse me in an inebriated state, but I couldn’t remain quiet when it came to my child.”
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