Byculla jail riots: Indrani has blunt injuries, confirms medical report

Mumbai: Medical reports on Thursday stated that Indrani Mukherjea had received blunt injuries on her hands and other parts of the body, after she complained in court of assault by Byculla jail authorities on Wednesday.

"Indrani has received some blunt injuries and other (injuries) as well. Her claims of being beaten up appear to be true as per our check-up," the medical officer of J J Hospital, where Indrani's medical examination was conducted, told media on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

"It (Indrani's medical report) will be submitted in court, as the medical check-up was ordered by the court," the officer said.

Mukerjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was testifying to a fellow inmate’s death. Manju Shette, died after she was stripped naked by four women police officials, who allegedly inserted a lathi (wooden stick) into her private parts. A murder case has been also registered in the incident by the Nagpada police.

Mukerjea has appeared at a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court and accused the jail authorities of threatening her with the "same consequences" as Shette. "Tujhe hum dekh lenge. Joh unke saath hua woh tumhare saath hoga (You will face the same consequence as her Shette)."

Mukerjea's lawyer, Gunjan Mangla, had asked the court to record her statement and order a medical examination. Her lawyer also told the court that she too was thrashed by jail officials and has bruises on her arms and legs.

Mangla said Indrani also said that she was verbally abused by jail officials and the superintendent and was threatened with sexual assault for protesting against the death in jail.

"These allegations are part of the FIR filed against the jail staff. We are probing the matter," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-3), Akhilesh Singh said.

The Nagpada police, investigating the case, have filed an offence of murder against the jail staff in Shette’s murder. "We are seeking information from eyewitnesses and other inmates in this connection," a police official said.

Following Shette's death, the enraged inmates has protested on Saturday. While some of them had gone up to the prison's terrace while others made a bonfire of newspapers and documents inside the premises to express their anger.

Later, the Nagpada police booked nearly 200 inmates of the Byculla jail, including Indrani, on charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on a public servant and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC).

Gunjan said Indrani requested her to bring the incident to the notice of the court and seek her production to lodge a complaint against the jail officials.

"She informed me that several inmates want to give their statements against the jail officials who were involved in the incident," the lawyer said.

When Judge J C Jagdale asked the lawyer if Indrani wants to file an FIR, she said "yes".

An official from the prison department had alleged that Indrani "instigated" the inmates by asking them to shun food and "use their children as shields" when prison staffers tried to stop them from agitating and gathering together.

Declining to comment on the matter, Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Bhushankumar Upadhyay said, "Police have registered an offence against the jail staff and an investigation is on."

Six jail staffers were placed under suspension and police registered a case under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder) against them.

The jail, located in the heart of the city, houses around 251 inmates.