By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
New Delhi: Taking seriously the brutal beating of Muslim jail inmates, particularly those detained in connection with terror cases, inside the Jaipur Central Jail on the day of Eid, the Rajasthan Government yesterday suspended Jailor Ashok Gaur.
According to Omendra Bhardwaj, Director General of Police (Jails), Jailor Ashok Gaur and a constable have been suspended and the deputy jailor Bhairaon Singh has been transferred on 1st October. A case under sections 143, 323, 153-A and 295 of IPC has been lodged by Abdul Hameed Qureshi, brother of Dr. Ishaq Qureshi, a private medical practitioner languishing in the jail in a terror case. The FIR against the jail authorities giving all details of the incident was lodged at Lal Kothi Police Station and SHO Amrendra Singh has started investigation.
Two days ago when Er. Muhammad Salim, State President, Jamaat—Islami Hind, Rajasthan contacted DG Jails Mr. Omendra Bhardwaj, he was informed that a probe in the 21st Sep incident is being carried out and he assured that some outcome is expected soon. He also informed that medical examination of the victims has been got done by the jail authorities.
Er Saleemhad led a delegation of Muslim leaders to the jail to meet personally the victim jail inmates on 26 September. Rajasthan Muslim Forum, an alliance of leading Muslim bodies of Rajasthan, was informed on 23rd September by the family members of the 13 jail inmates, that on 21st of September 2009, the day of Eidul-Fitr, the inmates were not allowed to offer Eid prayers, beaten up by the jail employees and other prisoners and the holy books were desecrated.
After receiving the complaint, a six member delegation, including Er Saleem, Abdul Lateef Arco, M Mahir Azad (Ex MLA), Imamuddeen, M Nazimuddeen and Mr. Naeemuddeen from Kota, met the jail authorities and visited the prison to find out the facts. The delegation met Omendra Bhardwaj, director General of Prisons of the state. He informed the delegation “we have also got this kind of complaint; we are taking it seriously and trying to find out the fact”. The delegation requested the DG to let them meet some of the victims and find out the facts which he accepted and instructed the jail superintendent to arrange for this meeting.
The delegation visited the jail, Superintendent of Jail Mrs. Preeta Bhargav arranged a meeting of three of the victims with the delegation in her chamber. The victims, Munawwar Husain, Nazakat Ali and Dr. Taufeeq Qureshi, narrated the incident and showed raw scars on their bodies made by the beating. The delegation interrogated each of them separately.
Meanwhile reports coming out of the jail indicate that the attitude of the jail authorities towards the victims have changed after the Muslim Forum delegation visit and pressure on them from top.
On 30th September it was the day for the visitors to meet their relatives in the jail, so the relatives of 12 inmates visited the central jail and applied as usual for the meeting with their relatives. This time they were not allowed to meet them as they were allowed earlier. According to them, when they met the Jail Superintendent Mrs. Preeta Bhargav and requested to let them meet them as usual, she also behaved differently and bluntly refused to co-operate with them in this matter. When they asked that if the jail rules have been changed for all or for them only? She got angry and denied any co-operation. Then they approached DG Mr. Omendra Bhardwaj requested them to let them meet their relatives as they met earlier. After the intervention of DG they were allowed to meet.
Earlier, the inmates were usually allowed out of their cells, within the jail premises, for three hours daily, but after the incident they are being treated roughly and deprived of their human rights as they are being kept confined to their cells round the clock. The relatives said that they were astonished over the now biased attitude of the jail superintendent.
The Rajasthan Muslim Forum said that seeing the behavior of the jail superintendent, fair investigation of the incidents is not possible till she is present on this post, because from the very beginning she is not co-operating in this matter. Moreover she is trying to protect the accused jail officers. “Hence we demand an early removal of the jail superintendent so that just and fair investigations may be carried out,” the Forum said in a statement.
“If proper action is not taken in this regard, the forum will soon approach to the Minister of Jail Affairs and the Home Minister and if required, to the chief minister.”