Athuhar’s body transferred overseas for autopsy

The body of Adam Athuhar, a suspect who died on Monday, a day after he hanged himself in his cell at the Dhoonidhoo Custodial Jail, has been transported overseas for an autopsy.

Athuhar, 32, was arrested from Male’ City on the night of August 29 after he held a woman hostage at knifepoint and attempted to evade arrest. The police hit him in the back of the head with a baton to rescue the woman. He was treated at two different hospitals in Male’ before he was taken to Dhoonidhoo.

He was rushed to the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ on Sunday evening after he was found hanging in his jail cell in an apparent suicide attempt. He was treated on a ventilator at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and was pronounced dead at 04:08 pm on Monday.

A police spokesperson said that Athuhar’s body was flown overseas for an autopsy on Thursday morning.

The autopsy will be done on Friday, added the spokesperson.

Information shared by the police show that it took 30 minutes before officers viewing security cameras found Athuhar hanging in his jail cell. It took another 23 minutes to take him to IGMH.

The police decided to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death despite resistance from his family, who claim foul play.

A number of rights groups have expressed concern over the circumstances leading to Athuhar’s death, including the use of force by the police during his arrest and the decision to place Athuhar in remand given his health and medical condition.

They called for a free and independent investigation into both his arrest and his death.

The case is under investigation by the National Integrity Commission (NIC) and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM).