23 minutes to take Athuhar from Dhoonidhoo to IGMH

It took 23 minutes to transport a man detained for taking a woman hostage at knifepoint to a hospital in Male’ on Sunday, after he was found hanging in his cell at the custodial jail in Dhoonidhoo Island, according to a timeline released by the police.

Ahmed Athuhar, 32, was arrested from Male’ City on Thursday night in a high-stakes rescue operation 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) on Sunday evening after he attempted to commit suicide and is reported to be in critical conditon.

The police shared a timeline of the incident on Monday morning.

The timeline:

• 07:02 pm: Police saw Athuhar hanging from in his cell from security cameras
• 07:02 pm: Police opened the jail cell and laid Athuhar down on the ground
• 07:05 pm: Athuhar was taken out of the jail cell on a stretcher
• 07:06 pm: Athuhar was taken to the Dhoonidhoo Clinic and checked out by a doctor
• 07:14 pm: Athuhar was transported to Male’ on a speedboat in an emergency medical evacuation
• 07:17 pm: Athuhar was put on an ambulance to IGMH
• 07:25 pm: Athuhar was taken to IGMH’s Emergency Room

The police said on Thursday that Athuhar beat the young woman after dragging her inside a house in the Maafannu district of Male’, and also after dragging her out on the street.

When confronted by the police, Athuhar pressed a knife against the woman’s throat and threatened to kill her if they made any move to rescue her.

He later dragged her out of the house where he had been holding her hostage and made her drive a motorbike with a knife pressed against her throat in an attempt to flee.

The police allowed him to leave, but placed motorbikes on the road to block his path. While distracted as the police removed the roadblocks they place, officers came up behind him and hit his head with a baton, and rescued the woman.

Athuhar was treated for his injuries at the ADK Hospital on Thursday, and was readmitted to the IGMH on Friday after he began vomiting. He was held under observation overnight before getting discharged on Saturday, following which he was taken back into police custody.

A police spokesperson said on Saturday that medical tests done on Athuhar, including a CT scan, all came back “normal.” He added that Athuhar was also taken to a psychiatrist and a neurologist, who found no issues.

According to sources, Athuhar and the victim had been in a live-in relationship. They lived in a rented apartment in the neighborhood. On the night of the incident, the couple argued over his lack of contribution to rent and other expenses. The argument soon escalated into violence.

The young woman was treated for her injuries at the IGMH, and was discharged the same night.

The Criminal Court had ordered for Athuhar to be jailed pending the outcome of his trial.

According to the police, he is being treated on a ventilator at the Intensive Care Unit of IGMH.

This is not the first time that a suspect in police custody has attempted to commit suicide. The most recent suicide was in 2021, when a migrant held at the Vilimale’ Custodial Facility committed suicide.