A man arrested for holding a woman hostage has died while receiving treatment after attempting suicide while in police custody.
The individual, identified as Athhar Ahmed from Sh. Milandhoo, Happy Land, was found hanging in his cell at Dhoonidhoo Jail on Saturday night. Authorities discovered him at 7:02 p.m. and transported him to the Emergency Room at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Malé, arriving at 7:25 p.m.
In a statement issued by the police a short while ago, the police confirmed that Athhar passed away while receiving treatment at IGMH at 4:08 pm today. The statement said the police are investigating his death, and that an autopsy would be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
“The Maldives Police Service will continue to cooperate fully with the independent investigations into this case,” the statement read.
According to reports, the woman Athhar kidnapped was his lover. She was kept under threat at knifepoint in the apartment they shared. He later attempted to flee with the woman on a motorcycle, but police intervened, with one officer subduing him by striking him from behind. After receiving medical attention for his injuries at IGMH, Athhar was taken into custody.
Athhar had previously been convicted of another crime in 2022 and was released early under conditions during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration.
