By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on 23rd July ordered a judicial enquiry into the city’s Aurthur Road Jail incident wherein Muslim jail inmates were allegedly beaten mercilessly by jail authorities last month.
More than 30 jail inmates were injured in the clash, some seriously. It should be noted that the convicts in the cases ob Mumbai serial blasts and procurement of illegal arms and ammunitions in Aurangabad, were being shifted to the jails of Amravati, Nagpur and Aurangabad. But when the prisoners tried to protest against what they considered an arbitrary step of Swati Sathe, Superintendent of Aurthur Road jail. At this juncture the jail Superintendent is alleged to have ordered officials to beat the Muslim prison inmates; some of them were severely injured.
Some of the inmates filed a petition in the High Court. Hearing on the petition yesterday, two-member division Bench of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Ashutosh Kumbhakoni asked principal judge of Mumbai city and sessions court to enquire into the matter under the Commission of enquiry Act and submit the report within five weeks.
The Bench also expressed satisfaction at the details of the treatment of the jail inmates with severe injuries.
The court ordered the administration to take care of the inmates who are undergoing treatment in different jails, and when their treatment is complete it should submit a report before the Court.
The Bench also expressed shock at the affidavit filed Jail Superintendent Swati Sathe. She said that around eighty percent of the Aurthur Road Jail inmates are Muslims. They all were involved in the sloganeering.
Defending her decision to transfer the Muslim jail inmates to the jails of Amrawati, Nagpur and Aurangabad, she has mentioned in the affidavit that the Aurthur Road jail is located in a Muslim-dominated area. They could have sent a secret message to outside which could have proved dangerous for the internal security of India.
The Court expressed shock and surprise at this kind of view submitted before it by the Jail Superintendent.
The Aurthur Road jail incident had caused anger among local Muslims. Talking to TwoCircles.net, a prominent social worker in Mumbai who wished not be named said that there is obvious anger among the community. But the media and the government have managed to distract its attention on other “bigger” issues like nuclear deal and the trust vote of the central government.
He pointed out that the anger is quite natural because the jail inmates have been beaten severely and mercilessly without any reason.
He is of the view that the jail superintendent has tried to sensationalize and communalize the whole issue just in order to defend her decision.
Because in the affidavit submitted before the Court she has mentioned that at the time of transfer the jail inmates started sloganeering “Pakistan Zindabad.”
The social worker terms this claim as “pack of lies” and ridiculous.
The whole incident speaks volumes about the attitude of the police and jail administration towards Muslims who are accused or have been convicted in terror cases.