NHRC seeks report from Maharashtra Govt on custodial death

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) Taking suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report on the custodial death of an under-trial and injuries to three others in Mumbai's Arthur Road prison, NHRC has sought a report within two weeks from the state Government on the incident.

The Commission has directed the state Inspector General of Prisons to submit the report.

''If the contents of the report are true, they raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of under-trial prisoners,'' it said.

NHRC also sought an explanation from the District Magistrate concerned for not intimating it about the death within 24 hours in accordance with the Commission guidelines.

According to the December 24 newspaper report, a scuffle over filling water in a barrack of the prison snowballed in a fight which resulted in the death of the under-trial and injuries to others.

The barrack with the capacity to house only 50 people, is accommodating 157 undertrials and 75 inmates were present at the time if the incident, it added.

UNI