PESHAWAR, March 17: An under-trial prisoner was found dead in the bathroom of the central prison here on Friday morning. Prison officials claimed that the prisoner Bashir Mandaray had committed suicide by hanging himself with a piece of cloth.

The prisoner was facing trial for the murder of his wife in Risalpur last year.

Jail superintendent Khalid Abbas said the prisoner was overcome by feelings of guilt and repentance over the murder. Mr Abbas said Bashir had often told his fellow inmates that he had killed his innocent wife.

Jail officials had informed him by telephone about Bashir’s death at 3:30am.

The jail superintendent said that although the time of suicide had not been confirmed the statement of the official on duty and post-mortem report suggested the under-trial prisoner committed suicide at 3:15am.

According to him, initial investigations showed that Bashir had woken up in the middle of the night and asked prison staff if he could take a shower.

To give an impression that he needed a bath, Bashir took his towel, soap and a thin shawl into the bathroom, the superintendent said, quoting the man on duty.

However, he said, jail staff became suspicious when Bashir did not come out even after a couple of hours. The man on duty went into the bathroom where he found Bashir’s limp body hanging with a shawl wrapped around the neck and the other end fastened to a shower pipe.