Venjaramoodu multiple-murder accused Affan attempts suicide at Poojappura Central Prison

A.R. Affan, the accused in five murders, including the brutal killings of his family members, in Venjaramoodu, attempted suicide while in custody at the Poojappura Central Prison on Sunday.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. when Affan allegedly tried to hang himself using a cloth left to dry in a prison wash room. He has been admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, where his condition is reported to be highly critical. He remains on ventilator support at the intensive care unit.

According to prison authorities, Affan was placed under high surveillance in the Undertrial (UT) Block of the Central Prison. While the inmates were permitted to watch television, Affan took the opportunity to go to the washroom. When he did not return after a significant amount of time, a prison official forced open the door and discovered him hanging from the wall. The prison authorities brought him down and rushed him to the hospital.

Official sources indicated that Affan had displayed suicidal tendencies in the past. He had expressed his intention to commit suicide during his interactions with the investigators. Two months ago, he purportedly jumped from a considerable height in a lock-up at the Pangode police station when he was taken into custody.

The Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services have initiated an inquiry into the incident.

The suicide attempt comes two days after the police submitted the charge sheet in the one of the three murder cases registered against Affan. The Pangode police submitted the chargesheet before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Nedumangad in connection with the murder of his paternal grandmother, Salma Beevi.

Affan, 23, has also been accused of murdering his brother Ahsan, uncle Latheef, aunt Shahida and girlfriend Farsana. Besides executing the multiple murders, he allegedly attempted to murder his mother A. Shemeena in the series of horrific crimes that rocked the region on February 24.

(Suicide prevention helpline: DISHA – 1056, 0471-2552056)