Byculla jail inmate death: Maharashtra women's commission summons Inspector-General of Prisons

Taking cognisance of the death of a woman inmate in the Byculla jail last week, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) on Thursday summoned Inspector-General of Prisons Swati Sathe. [caption id=“attachment_3757493” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The death of Manjula Shetye (45) at the government-run JJ Hospital on Friday night triggered violent protests in the women’s jail amid allegations that she was brutally assaulted by some staffers. Sathe spent an hour at the MSCW office in Bandra and provided the commission with a detailed report. Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar told Firstpost an enquiry had been ordered and a three-member committee set up which included a retired judge, a retired police officer and a member of the NGO. Rahatkar is expected to visit Byculla jail around 3 pm. The crime branch are investigating Shette’s death. On Tuesday, Rahatakar said that the commission had summoned top police officers and they would be appearing before 11 am on 29 June. In a letter to DGP and the Additional Director General (ADG) Prisons, MSCW stated they had taken cognisance of the “very serious” issue. Six jail staffers were placed under suspension and a case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against them on Sunday. Nearly 200 inmates, including Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case were booked for rioting and other offences following the death of Shette. With inputs from Sanjay Sawant