Twist to Byculla jail murder story: Inmates didn’t raise torture incident to visiting judge
‘Orchestrated by Indrani Mukherjea in bid to make over her image’
Byculla jail authorities brushed aside media reports that murder convict Manjula Shetye succumbed to brutal assaults she received from prison officials, including the jailor, Manisha Pokharkar.
“She (Shetye) was a warden; and a warden is part of prison administration. Why will a prison administration personnel be brutally assaulted? The allegations are baseless and incorrect. On June 23, Shetye collapsed in the washroom at 6:30 pm. The prison medical officer was immediately called in. We took her immediately to JJ Hospital where she was declared brought dead,” said Chandramani Indurkar, the new superintendent of Byculla jail.
An inmate, Mariam Shaikh, filed a complaint at Nagpada police station stating that Shetye was brutally assaulted by six prison officials including Pokharkar, Bindu Naikade, Waseema Shaikh, Shital Shegaonkar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne. The complainant has alleged that prison officials inserted a baton inside Shetye’s private part soon after an altercation over shortage of eggs and paav (bread) in the morning and left her crying and bleeding for hours.
Indurkar told the Free Press Journal that judges often make random visits to inspect the condition of jail and inmates too. “The 39 Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) court, Vile Parle Judge J. V. Pekhale Purkar visited the jail at 12:25 pm. She inspected the women’s barrack and gave good remarks,” said Indurkar.
In her remarks, Purkar wrote: ‘As per the order of Hon. CMM today (June 23) I visited female section of the jail. I visited the female barrack. Nobody is having complaints. The kitchen is clean, food tasted. It is tasty and hygienic. Special arrangement is made for ladies having Ramzaan fast. Area is clean, arrangement is proper.’
“Had Shetye been assaulted by prison officials on June 23 then why didn’t the inmates bring up the incident to the notice of Pekhle? The allegations made by the inmates are not only baseless but are wild too,” Indurkar added.
Shetye died on June 23 and the consequent day the Byculla jail inmates demonstrated on the roof of their barracks and vital documents were burnt during the protest. The Special Inspector General of Police (Prisons), Rajvardhan Sinha, said the protest was instigated by media magnate Indrani Mukerjea (prime accused in her daughter Sheena Bora murder case) and Divya Pahuja (co-accused in the encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli).
The infuriating inmates also damaged the CCTV cameras installed inside the women barrack. “The footage of the CCTV cameras are safe and sound. It has not been damaged but the CCTV cameras have been broken,” said Sinha.
Mukerjea had accused jail officials of threatening sexually assault on her, but the jail official said she was trying a makeover of her tainted image.