Surat: A murder convict allegedly died by suicide in Lajpore Central Jail on Tuesday, a day after he was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court through video conferencing.The deceased, Shambhu Aada (35), had been lodged in the jail since Feb 2024 after being arrested by Katargam police in a murder case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment during a hearing conducted via video conferencing on Monday.According to police, Aada was lodged in cell C/2/1 of the jail. At around 11.10am on Tuesday, he went to a common toilet and allegedly hanged himself using a string tied to a ventilator.A police officer said Aada appeared to have been under shock following the life sentence pronounced a day earlier. However, the exact circumstances and motive behind his death are being investigated.Sachin police registered an accidental death case and initiated an investigation. A custodial death inquiry has also been launched.Aada was a native of Bhopot village in Banswara district of Rajasthan.Aada had murdered his lover for eight years, Radha Charpat (38), on Feb 19, 2024, after suspecting that she was having an affair with another person. He had allegedly threatened her with dire consequences over the suspicion.Around 1.30am on the day of the incident, Aada went to a shopping complex where Radha was sleeping. Carrying an inflammable liquid, he poured it over her and her bed before setting her on fire. Radha’s family members and others rushed to her rescue and tried to extinguish the flames. She was severely burnt and shifted to a hospital, where she died during treatment.Following her death, Aada was arrested and remained lodged in Lajpore Central Jail until his conviction and sentencing.Sachin police have initiated procedures to hand over his body to his relatives, who reside in Rajasthan.As per court procedure, a convict is required to sign the warrant after being sentenced. Since Aada’s sentence was pronounced through video conferencing, the warrant reached the court on Tuesday. Jail authorities were expected to receive the formal order later in the day, following which his status would have been changed from undertrial to convict.
