Byculla jail inmate’s murder: Mumbai Police submit chargesheet against six prison officials
It stated that jailer Manisha Pokharkar and her subordinates continued to assault Manjula Shetye knowing that their beating would kill her.
The Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against six Byculla women’s prison officials in connection with the custodial killing of inmate Manjula Shetye, The Hindu reported. Police officials said that the 990-page chargesheet had been submitted to the Esplanade Court in Mumbai.
“The six accused have been charged with murder, destruction of evidence, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy,” an unidentified police officer told The Hindu. However, the police have dropped the sexual assault charges against the accused due to lack of evidence. “We will be submitting CCTV footage from the prison later. It has been mentioned in the chargesheet.”
The chargesheet states that the main accused, jailer Manisha Pokharkar, and her five subordinates continued to assault Shetye knowing that their beating would kill her, reported The Times of India. It also says that after beating Shetye for almost 14 minutes, the accused dumped her in her cell without providing her medical assistance, and instead leaving her to die.
The police officer said that the chargesheet included statements of 182 witnesses. “The witnesses include 97 Prisons Department officers,” the officer told The Hindu.
In July, the police had arrested prison guards Pokharkar, Wasima Sheikh, Sheetal Shegokar, Bindu Naikode, Surekha Gulwe and Aarti Shingne for Shetye’s murder.
The incident took place on June 23 when 38-year-old Shetye had argued with the guards about two eggs and five slices of bread that were missing from the morning ration. Shetye, who was supposed to perform the duties of a warden in the jail, had also got into spats with other inmates who accused her of “being bossy”.
On the day of her death, an inmate had complained about her to the jailor named Pokharkar. An angry Pokharkar then asked her constables to bring Shetye to her cabin, where they sexually assaulted her and beat her to death, the official said. Her death sparked a violent protest by other inmates.