Relatives tell a tale of terror for Muslim inmates of Sabarmati Central Jail
- From: PakistanPal <pakistanpal@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 23:21:48 -0700 (PDT)
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Ahmedabad: Even as the prison authorities on Monday submitted in the
Gujarat High court that there was no “severe beating” of the Sabarmati
jail inmates, mostly Muslims, the relatives of the inmates who met
them inside the jail today said that as many as 22 inmates were
severely beaten up and are in a serious condition.
Speaking to TwoCircles.net, the relatives of the inmates alleged that
the prison authorities were neither providing them treatment nor
giving adequate food, thus allowing the condition of inmates from bad
to worse. According to relatives, inmates were attacked when they were
performing `salat’ or `namaz’ at around 5:15 p.m. and were in
prostrating posture (sajda).
Though the alleged physical torture of the inmates had been going on
for more than a week, the relatives came to know of it when an
advocate linked to NGO Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) Shamshad Pathan
visited the jail premises in connection with some legal matters.
Their doubts were further confirmed when neither relatives nor the
advocates fighting the cases of these inmates were allowed to have
meeting with the inmates inside the jail on Saturday (March 28). The
jail authorities had fixed Saturday as the day for allowing POTA and
July 26 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts undertrials to meet their
relatives and advocates. Most of those targeted by the police and jail
staff for torture are POTA accused in post-Godhra 2002 cases or Jul 26
serial blasts.
However, after three days of moving from pillar to post to secure
permission, family members of the inmates finally managed to visit the
jail on Monday evening. And what they saw inside the jail in 10 to 15
minutes as they were allowed only a short visit was very terrifying.
According to the relatives, most of the inmates beaten up by jail and
police staff have sustained head injuries and got their legs and hands
fractured. And most of them were not in a position to stand and walk
and even to go to toilet to answer the nature’s call.
Bomb blast accused and an undertiral Shamsuddin’s mother Nasimbano
alleged that her son had been beaten so seriously that he was notable
to walk and even sit.
“Shamsuddin has suffered serious injuries on back side of his head and
both of his legs and hands have been broken”, she said, after visiting
the jail.
She also alleged that her son was not being provided medication nor
was he given proper and adequate food; with the result he had become
weak and lean. “The jail has been converted into a torture cell”, she
charged.
Farzana, wife of Arif Sheikh, alleged that Arif had got fractured both
of his hands due to severe beatings and one of his ribs had also
broken, making it extremely difficult for him to sit or walk.
Another inmate Zahid Sheikh’s sister Saleha was very angry while
talking to reporters as, according to her, police and jail staffers
urinated on her brother before beating him when he was in prayer.
She refuted the charges of the jail and police officials that inmates
indulged into clashes with jail staff and this forced the policemen to
resort to lathi charge. “it is a false and fabricated thesis of the
police and jail staffers to hide and justify their crimes”, she
stated.
Shazia, wife of Sajid Mansuri considered to be one of the main accused
in the July 26 serial bomb blasts, alleged that Sajid was performing
`Asr’ prayers and was in `sajda’(prostrating position with his head on
the ground) when the cops began hitting him on head and legs.
“My husband has suffered serious injuries on the back of his head and
both the legs are fractured. There are severe injuries on both the
arms, including fingers”, she said.
According to her, Sajid was also being denied food, barring a cup of
milk. She alleged that there was no medical treatment, except pain
killers, given to him.
Afsanabano, wife of Yunus Mansuri, another blast accused, alleged that
a group of about 20 cops attacked her husband when he was offering
prayers. She alleged that jail authorities were neither sending the
injured to the government hospital outside for treatment nor making
medical arrangement in the jail.
She alleged that cops asked Yunus not to narrate the story of torture
but talk about personal family matters only. She was also allegedly
advised by the cops not to talk to media about conditions in the jail.
When questioned about provocation, Afsanabano said there was no
provocation at all from inmates’ side. On being asked that inmates
were reported to have attacked the jail staff with weapons, she
retorted: “even food was checked by the jail staff before being
allowed inside, how then the inmates could procure weapons as alleged
by the jail officials.”
Vaddoara-based Hameedabano, mother of another blast accused Imran
Sheikh, told mediapersons that her son was badly beaten in the abdomen
by cops. His right hand is fractured.
With tears rolling down her eyes, mother of another undertrial
Gayasduddin alleged that the life of her son was in danger as the cops
had beaten her son very badly. “I could not ever imagine that
policemen would be so savage,” she said.
Court asks for report from jail authorities
Meanwhile, the court of designated metropolitan magistrate G M Patel
hearing the cases of the serial bomb blasts accused on Monday directed
the jail authorities to submit a report on the injuries sustained by
the accused and the treatment provided to them within a period of two
days. The magistrate also allowed two defence lawyers Javedkhan Pathan
and I M Munshi to meet the inmates on March 31.
IGP(Prison) denies the allegation of beating
In an affidavit submitted to a division bench comprising chief justice
K S Radhakrishnan and Justice Akil Kureshi of the Gujarat high court
on Monday (March 30), Inspector General of Police (prisons) Keshav
Kumar denied there was any “severe beatings” of the inmates. The
affidavit was submitted by him in response to a notice issued to him
by the court on March 27 on a public interest litigation filed by Jan
Sangharsh Manch representative Shamshad Pathan.
However, the high court asked Ahmedabad additional sessions judge P B
Desai to submit a report of the incident inside the jail by April 3
and fixed the next hearing on April 6.
In his petition, Pathan had alleged that several inmates were
subjected to severe torture and inhuman treatment by jail
superintendent V Chandrashekhar who had in fact created an atmosphere
of terror in the jail and had violated all norms of a civilized
society. He had also demanded immediate transfer of Chandrashekhar.
Pathan’s petition had pointed out that one Akbar, a convicted prisoner
was severely beaten and his leg was fractured. Another prisoner
Silvester who was one of the witness in the infamous Sohrabuddin fake-
encounter case and brought from Udaipur (Rajasthan) on March 20, 2009
was brutally beaten. He was handcuffed on one hand and another hand
was tied with the bars of the ventilator and was made to stand facing
the wall and was brutally beaten on back with sticks by
Chandrashekhar. It was also reported that his life was in danger.
According to Pathan’s petition, a Nigerian undertrial Louis was also
severely beaten. Two prisoners Ashraf Ismail Nagori and Rahim alias
Ferozkhan Pathan convicted under POTA were denied medical treatment.
Apart from specific complaints of brutality and atrocity committed on
prisoners, Pathan had submitted that the jail authorities were
completely unsympathetic towards the welfare of the prisoners.
Knowingly and deliberately they flouted the directions given by the
Gujarat High Court in its order dated May 7, 2004 in Special Civil
Application No.16198/2003. He submitted that Chandrashekhar after
taking over the administration of Sabarmati Central Jail had curtailed
all the amenities and welfare measures which the prisoners were
entitled to under law.
Human rights organizations condemn torture
Meanwhile, several human rights group and organisations have condemned
the alleged torture of inmates in the Sabarmati jail. The All India
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM) said that Chief Minister Narendra
Modi’s handpicked jailors are subjecting prisoners to continuous
inhuman treatment and denying them medical treatment and visits by
relatives and lawyers.
Fr. Cedric Prakash of NGO Prashant described the incident as barbaric
and demanded immediate restoration of human rights of the inmates in
the prison and action against the guilty police and prison
authorities.
PUCL activist J S Bandukwala described the incident very heinous
deserving severe condemnation. But he said that one could not expect
anything good in Modi’s Gujarat.
Senior lawyer and representative of NGO Jan Sangharsh Manch demanded
setting up of a court commission comprising of advocates, court
official and a government official other than the police to inquire
into the issue and submit a report to the Gujarat High Court for
initiating action in the matter.
Article Source : http://twocircles.net/2009mar30/relatives_tell_tale_terror_muslim_inmates_sabarmati_central_jail.html
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