Accused of rape, 26/11 martyr’s kin attempts suicide

Sahebrao Chitte, brother of 26/11 martyr Constable Arun Chitte, attempted suicide on Tuesday night in the Dharavi lockup where he had been lodged after being arrested in a rape case.

Sahebrao (32), training to be a constable, was wanted for a rape that he had allegedly committed two months ago. Rao was initially unemployed but after the death of his brother, the government offered him a job.

Police said Sahebrao, a resident of PMG colony, Dharavi, was absconding for the past two months. On Monday, the police received information that he had come home. The police kept a watch and arrested him.

On Tuesday, Sahebrao was remanded in police custody until May 14 and was lodged in the lockup at Dharavi police station with three other inmates.

Senior Police Inspector, Hemant Patil, said at 8 pm Sahebrao removed the string from the track pants he was wearing and tried to hang himself from the ventilator in the lockup.

“The other men in the lockup raised and alarm and called the constable posted outside the lockup. The constable opened the door, cut off the thread and brought Sahebrao down before he could hang himself,” Patil said.

Sahebrao was rushed to Sion Hospital. He has now been charged with attempt to suicide.

Police sources said Sahebrao used to stay in Nashik, came to Mumbai when the Chitte family received compensation for Arun Chitte’s death. There were clashes within the family over the compensation money, sources said.

The family had also caught Sahebrao stealing two cheques from his house and had had lodged a police complaint against him.

When Hindustan Times visited PMG colony to speak to Chitte’s family members, they refused to comment. The colony, located in the heart of Dharavi, is cramped with small police quarters.

A distant cousin of Chitte, who was alone at Chitte’s house said, “We do not want to comment on the matter. We have told the police whatever we wanted to say.”