Byculla jail death: Charges framed against 6 accused

Additional Sessions Judge Shayna Patil framed charges under sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 506 (criminal intimidation against the six accused.

A sessions court in Mumbai framed charges against six Byculla women's prison personnel in connection with the death of an inmate Manjula Shetye last year.

Additional Sessions Judge Shayna Patil framed charges under sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 506 (criminal intimidation against the six accused.

The accused include jailer Manisha Pokharkar and constables Bindu Naikade, Waseema Shaikh, Shital Shegaonkar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne. They were arrested on July 1 last year. The trial in the case will begin on July 3.

Shetye (45), a life convict, died at a hospital on June 23 after she was allegedly beaten up by jail staffers for failing to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates.

Initially the prison staff claimed that Shetye had died due to poor health, but another inmate lodged a complaint on June 25 alleging that Shetye was assaulted by the jail staff.

PTI