Prisoner kills self in Agra jail

Agra, Dec 13 (IANS) A prisoner serving life sentence in the overcrowded Agra Central Jail has committed suicide by hanging himself, the authorities said Saturday.

Hasrat, a resident of Bulandshahr district, was being treated for mental illness. He was shifted from Bulandshahr to the Agra prison in April.

The 52-year-old used his clothes to hang himself from a ventilator Friday evening, an official said.

The Agra jail has more than double the number of prisoners it can hold. Amnesty International recently organised a protest demanding better facilities for the inmates.