Six women jailors charged with murder of inmate

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, June 19

Six women police personnel, including the jailor of the Byculla Women’s Prison, Manisha Pokharkar, have been charged with the murder of an inmate on the jail premises last year.

The inmate, Manjula Shetye, who was also the jail warden, was allegedly thrashed by the jail officials and a lathi inserted in her private parts which resulted in her death from internal bleeding.

Besides Pokharkar, guards Bindu Naikode, Waseema Shaikh, Sheetal Shegaokar, Surekha Gudve and Aarti Shingane have been charged with murder. All six pleaded not guilty before the Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday.

Shetye’s death sparked off a riot by jail inmates, including former media executive Indrani Mukherjea who is accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora.

Jail officials allegedly tried to pass off the murder as an accident, Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil told the Maharashtra Assembly later. “There were 17 injury marks on her body and there is no doubt that she died after being assaulted by the prison staff,” Patil told the House. The minister had also stated that witnesses saw Shetye being taken to the office of the jail superintendent and the doors and windows shut before she was assaulted inside.

The government later suspended Dr Vishwas Roke of JJ Hospital who gave a fake death certificate that stated Shetye had died from a fall in the prison. The prisoner had been declared brought dead by the hospital authorities.

Women prisoners later told a visiting parliamentary committee that Shetye was beaten up after two eggs and five loaves of bread were found missing.