Parliament’s 241 Committee asked to probe Faisal’s suicide attempt for possible police negligence

A case has been submitted to the Parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 Committee) seeking a parliamentary inquiry into possible police negligence, after a man arrested for the suspicious death of his wife was found hanging in a holding cell at a police station in an apparent suicide attempt.

Nishama Mohamed, 28, was found dead in her home in HDh. Nolhivaram on Saturday afternoon. Her husband, Aboobakr Faisal, 32, ADh. Fenfushi, had initially fled to HDh. Kulhudhuffushi, before he turned himself in to the local police and was subsequently arrested.

He was found hanging in a holding cell at the Kulhudhuffushi Police Station at approximately 11:15 pm Monday.

People’s National Congress (PNC)’s deputy leader, Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef has asked for the 241 Committee to investigate the incident for possible police negligence.

@PoliceMv ge belumuge dhashugai thibey meehun belehettey minvaraai, khaassakoh Faisal ge dhanjehumugai fuluhunge ihumaaleh oiythoa belumah @mvpeoplesmajlis ge 241 committee ah hushahalhaifin. pic.twitter.com/6ym45eEOpV

— Adam Shareef Umar (@Adamshareefz) December 13, 2022

Adam Shareef told Sun that given Faisal’s prior criminal record, the police should have been alert to what he might do in holding.

He said that attempts to destroy evidence or take his own life will deny Nishama’s family the justice they are due.

“The police should have been more alert when holding someone like him. First of all, there should not have been anything in his cell that he could use to hang himself. This incident has once again led to loss of public faith in police. Something of this magnitude cannot happen without police negligence. This must be thoroughly investigated,” he said.

Adam Shareef said that having someone in police custody commit such an act constitutes to gross negligence from police.

The police’s custodial management manual instructs for suspects in custodial jails to be monitored 24/7 with CCTV. And for at least hourly patrols by duty officers to holding cells.  The manual also instructs for suspects at high risk of self-harm to be monitored with extra attentiveness, and the removal of all items from cells that can be used for self-harm.

Faisal did not have a pulse when he was taken to the Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, and was revived at the hospital’s ER.

He remains in critical condition at the hospital’s ICU.