Mangaluru : A head constable of the Mangaluru city police, facing charges under the POCSO Act, died after a futile attempt to escape from police custody here on Saturday.

The police said that Praveen (35), who was attached to Bajpe police station, reportedly jumped from the fourth floor of the district court complex to the second floor in a bid to escape when he was being produced before the court.

Having received injuries in his legs, waist and spine, he was immediately shifted to Government Wenlock Hospital, where he died, probably due to cardiac arrest, the police said. They are waiting a postmortem report. A native of Manjeshwar in neighbouring Kerala, Praveen was staying in a rented house in Bajpe police station limits. The police said the accused had allegedly filmed a 11-year-old girl bathing and then the next day, filmed her mother also taking her bath in the neighborhood.

The girl’s mother, when she came to know about this act, confronted and questioned the constable and also complained to the Bajpe police. He was suspended from service immediately and his cellphone was sent for forensic examination.