MIRI: A 54-year-old farmer wanted for allegedly raping his 14-year-old step-granddaughter died in a hospital apparently of suicide.

The man died at Sri Aman Hospital at about 5am Friday after he was found in a semi-conscious state in a hut in his padi field.

Policemen who went to the scene to arrest him found the man frothing from the mouth. He was believed to have taken pesticide. Police rushed the man to the hospital where he died later.

Sarawak CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Dev Kumar said the case of the step-granddaughter came to light on Sept 21 when the Sri Aman Hospital alerted the police after the girl injured her back from jumping from the first floor of her hostel.

"Medical officers who treated her found she was five weeks pregnant.

"Social welfare officers who interviewed her later found that she tried to commit suicide by jumping off the hostel.

"She revealed that her step-grandfather had raped her twice in August.

"Investigation found that her step-grandfather had raped her in the hut and again in his house," said SAC Dev.

Following the investigation, the police team went to the hut to arrest the man.

SAC Dev said the Sri Aman Hospital was preparing to transfer the man to the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching but he died before they could do anything.