NHRC visits jail after SIMI inmates complain of torture

Families of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) complained before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team on Wednesday that Central Jail authorities were torturing, humiliating and denying basic facilities to the SIMI inmates, and that they feared for their lives inside the jail.

At present, there are 21 SIMI undertrials and 10 SIMI convicts who have been transferred from Ahmedabad jail to the Central jail in Bhopal.

This is the second time in one year that the role of the Central Jail authorities is under scanner for treatment being meted out to the SIMI inmates.

A three-member team had come for the first time in June after they received similar complaints. The commission submitted a 25-page report to the state government, but it was kept under wraps leading to speculation that the findings were adverse.

Sajid Sattar’s mother Sehnaj Bi complained that Sajid had been so badly beaten and humiliated by the prison guards that he attempted to commit suicide inside the jail on November 30. A case has been registered against Sajid by the jail authorities for his suicide attempt. “Sajid fears for his life. He is being tortured because the officials believe he complained against them.”

Salma Bi, mother of another inmate called Abdullah , said the activists were kept in virtual solitaryconfinement,andwerebeing beaten up by other inmates at the instigation of prison officials. She said that things improved a bit after the visit of the NHRC team in June.

“They are being denied basic things like toothbrush, paste, winter wear etc by the jail authorities,” said SIMI undertrial Adil’s wife Farzana.

Principal secretary (jail), Vinod Semwal when asked about the visit of the NHRC following complaints by SIMI inmates, said, “They (SIMI activists) had complained in the past and they are doing so again and the NHRC team has come for that. I cannot comment any further.”

BHOPAL: