A 26-year-old police constable is in a critical condition after he accidentally hanged himself at his residence in suburban Bhandup this afternoon, while demonstrating to his wife how criminals are hanged, police said.

According to police, the constable, identified as Govind Balaji Devde, attached to Local Arms division of Mumbai police, was showing how a noose is prepared and death row convicts are hanged.

The incident took place around 4:30 pm, after Govind returned home from work at around 3.30 pm.

"After coming home, his wife told him that due to incessant rains the washed clothes were not drying up. She asked him to tie a string inside the house in order to dry the clothes. After fixing a clothesline, Govind took a sari and began to prepare noose," a police officer said.

"In order to demonstrate to his wife how a person is hanged, Govind put the noose around his neck. It was at that time the stool on which he was standing slipped and he started struggling for life. He remained in suspended position for some time," he said.

Govind's panic-stricken wife raised an alarm and called her neighbours for help, who took him down after cutting the 'noose'. He was rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to police, he is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment.

Further investigation is on.