A 36-year-old remand prisoner named Ramankutty died after consuming a sanitizer solution. The incident happened on March 24 at Malambuzha district prison in Kerala, where the jailers were engaged in the manufacturing of masks and sanitizers owing to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ramankutty, an accused in two theft cases was remanded to Malambuzha jail on February 18. On Tuesday, the prisoner was engaged in the making of sanitizer solution with the other jailmates. Evading the eyes of officials on duty, he drank the sanitizer solution which had an alcohol content (spirit) in it. Soon he developed uneasiness and was admitted to the hospital due to vomiting.

It was only after he was admitted to the hospital that the authorities realized he had drunk sanitizer. However, he did not respond well to the treatment in the hospital and died soon after he was admitted.

Following the incident, the authorities have stopped the manufacturing of sanitizer in jail. Reportedly, the police has launched a probe to find out if it was a case of suicide or if he had consumed the sanitizer by mistake.