Hostage-taker Dies After Suicide Attempt, Autopsy Scheduled
Adam Athuhar, who held his partner hostage at knifepoint on the streets of Malé following a domestic dispute, has died while receiving treatment in hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.
Police confirmed his death, which occurred at 16:08 at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
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ނޫސް ބަޔާން: ފުލުހުންގެ ބެލުމުގެ ދަށުގައި ހުރި ށ. މިލަންދޫ / ހެޕީލޭންޑް، އާދަމް އަޠުހަރު އައި.ޖީ.އެމް.އެޗް ގައި ފަރުވާދެމުންދަނިކޮށް ނިޔާވުމާ ގުޅޭ pic.twitter.com/9Rn1JVHtiZ— Maldives Police (@PoliceMv) September 2, 2024
Athuhar’s death comes amid an ongoing police investigation into his attempted suicide while he was in remand custody pending trial. Authorities have announced that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
According to police, Athuhar was discovered attempting to hang himself in his jail cell at 19:02 the previous evening. He was found through live security camera footage. Officers removed him from the noose and transported him to IGMH, where he was admitted to the emergency department 23 minutes later.
The incident that led to Athuhar’s arrest took place on Thursday night, following a disagreement between him and his partner. The argument escalated into a violent confrontation in which Athuhar, armed with a knife, held his partner, a police recruit, hostage and threatened her life.
Athuhar forced his partner onto a motorcycle at knifepoint, but the two were unable to flee due to a gathering crowd. A police officer managed to subdue Athhar by striking him on the head with a baton, causing him to fall off the motorcycle. As they fell, Athuhar attempted to slash his partner’s throat, but she escaped with only minor injuries.
The police rescued the victim, who was taken to IGMH for treatment. Athuhar, meanwhile, sustained head injuries and was initially taken to ADK Hospital before being transferred to IGMH. After undergoing tests, he was discharged and placed under police custody. However, his condition worsened, and he was readmitted to IGMH before being discharged again.
Following Athuhar’s death, his family raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding his passing, expressing doubts that his injuries were self-inflicted. They have refused to consent to an autopsy, claiming that police have not provided them with any medical records or details of his condition. The family also questioned the police’s account, stating there were minimal ligature marks on Athuhar’s neck and citing inconsistencies regarding the instrument used in his suicide attempt.
The family claims that Athuhar’s condition had been stable after his discharge from the hospital, but worsened upon his return to prison. Despite this, police maintained that Athuhar’s medical tests, including CT scans, had shown normal results. Athuhar’s death is now the subject of a wider investigation, with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) involved in the case.
Police have reaffirmed their commitment to investigating the circumstances of Athuhar’s death and will proceed with the planned autopsy, despite the family’s objections. The timeline provided by police indicates that Athuhar was discovered attempting to hang himself at 19:02 on the night of the incident and was taken to IGMH within 23 minutes.
