Jailed MLA seeks HC nod to raise Shetye case
After stepping in as a witness in the assault and killing of Manjula Shetye inside Byculla jail, legislator Ramesh Kadam has approached the Bombay High Court seeking its permission to attend the monsoon session of Maharashtra Assembly and apprise the House of the “important” issue of Shetye’s custodial death.
Kadam, an MLA from Mohol constituency, has been lodged in the Byculla jail since the last 23 months. Being lodged in the same jail as Shetye, Kadam claims to have witnessed the entire incident that led to her death.
Kadam had given his statements to Crime Branch spelling out the entire sequence as to how the six women jail officials thrashed and how Shetye died. Now, Kadam wants to raise it before all law makers and has sought one week’s bail.
In his petition, Kadam said he is “eye witness” to destruction of weapons and articles used in assaulting Shetye.
“The petitioner has the duty towards the public to raise their voice regarding their development for representing them in the House and similarly wants to record his statement as a witness to the disappearance and destruction of the weapons and articles used in the custodial death of Shetye. The petitioner wants to move resolution in the Assembly and call the attention of other law makers on this issue,” the petition reads and adds that it would be an ‘irreparable loss’ to the public if he is not allowed to raise the issue. His plea is likely to be heard by a Division Bench headed by Justice Ranjit More on Wednesday.