Judicial probe into allegations of assault in jail

Mumbai, July 23 (UNI) Bombay High Court today directed the Principal Sessions Judge A Nalavde to conduct a judicial probe within four weeks into the allegation made by some of the accused in blast and other cases that they were brutally assaulted while being shifted from Arthur Road jail to other jails in the state.

The division bench consisting of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Aushutosh Kumbhakoni gave directions in response to a petition filed by Sayeed Shaikh stating that his father Sohail Shaikh, who is an accused in the Aurangabad arms seizure case, was brutally assaulted last month by Arthur road jail superintendent Swati Sathe and other jail staff, while he along with other accused were being shifted from Arthur road jail.

In the petition, he had also claimed that beside his father, several other accused sustained injuries and their limbs were fractured.

Advocate Shahid Azmi, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, claimed that this act of the jail authorities was a gross violation of human rights.

On the other hand in response to the petition, Swati Sathe denied the allegations and in her affidavit submitted earlier before the court, she said the accused were shifted as their trial was stayed by the apex court and the permission for their shifting was obtained from the competent authority.

She also claimed that during the shifting, the accused were shouting anti-national slogans, which had resulted in a scuffle and the jail staff had used minimal force as permitted under the law.

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