Yasin Bhatkal's claim of not getting enough food during Ramzan is false: Tihar authorities to court

New Delhi, Jun 9: The allegations of human rights violation by Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, sentenced to death in a blast case, are false and fabricated, the Tihar jail administration has told a Delhi court.

In their reply to an application moved by Bhatkal before Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma seeking a CBI probe into the allegations, the jail administration said the accused was provided with all basic facilities similar to other prisoners.

"The allegations levelled in his application by the inmate are false and fabricated just to malign the jail administration with ulterior motives best known to him, whereas he has been provided all basic needs similar to other prisoners," a jail official told the court.

He said that the accused, facing trial in 50 cases, has been kept in the high security ward of the jail as there were inputs from various security agencies that the accused may escape from custody and there is also danger to his life.

"Thereby, he has been categorised under 'very very high risk prisoner' and kept under 24 hours CCTV surveillance and the watch of special guards," the officer said. The court has posted the matter for July 20. In his plea moved through advocate M S Khan, Bhatkal had alleged physical harassment in the prison, while urging the court to direct a probe by the CBI and the Anti Corruption Branch in this regard.

He had alleged that he had been kept in isolation for the last four months due to which he was suffering from mental and psychological problems. He had also claimed that he was denied proper medical aid, food and water and was facing problems during the ongoing Ramzan.

Bhatkal was sentenced to death by an NIA court in December last year in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case in Hyderabad. He is at present lodged in Tihar.

PTI