Even as the brutal assault and murder of Manjula Shetye in Byculla jail has shocked the nation, activists say, unfortunately, it is not uncommon for inmates to be ruthlessly beaten up by the jail staff. A few months before 38-year-old Shetye succumbed to multiple injuries in Byculla jail, a 25-year-old inmate in Thane Central jail was beaten to death by the prison constables.
The inmate, Siraz Aalam Ramzan Ali Shaikh, was an undertrial when he was assaulted in December. Speaking to THE WEEK, Pradeep Bhalekar, founder of Mahatma Gandhi Manav Adhikaar Forum said the unfortunate incident was brought to light only after the inmates from the jail reached out to him through letters.
"They were not able to tell me the full story via letters, so I met some of the inmates during a court visit where they gave me their eyewitness accounts of what had happened," said Bhalekar. According to him, Shaikh was forced to work with other inmates in the prison's workshop or karkhana though according to law, he didn't have to work as he was only an undertrial.
"He went to work for the first six days but then he refused to continue working and for that he was beaten up by a jailer and constables in the prison's maidan. They hung him upside down and continued to brutally beat him. They realised later on that he had succumbed to his injuries and in order to cover his death, they made it look like a suicide, but I was informed he had no marks or injuries around his neck as someone who committed suicide would have," Bhalekar said.
He said the jail authorities first pretended that he went missing and later hung him with a noose. However, the other inmates observed that Shaikh's legs were still touching the ground when he was found hanging by the noose.
Bhalekar alleged that false medical records were created by the jail authorities and the matter was then swept under the rug. In fact, Shaikh's brother is lodged in the same prison.
Advocates and activists say inmates are denied basic human rights in most prisons and jail authorities continue to look the other way.
When this correspondent tried to contact U.T. Pawar, superintendent of Thane Central Jail, he remained unavailable for comment.
