Byculla Jail violence: No injuries found on Manju Shetye's private parts, says SWC report

Mumbai: An report of inquest into the death of a Byculla jail woman inmate has ruled out injuries on her private parts though her autopsy suggested multiple injuries on her body, said State Women’s Commission Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Thursday. Rahatkar said the SWC will form a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to further enquire into the death of the woman convict, Manju Shetye , serving her sentence. “According to the panchnama (inquest report), all her organs and body parts were intact and no new or old injuries were found on the private parts of Manju Shetye,” She said. [caption id=“attachment_3757927” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Manju Shetye. Puja Changoiwala[/caption] Manju, 45, died at government-run JJ Hospital on Friday of her injuries sustained in a thrashing by a woman jailer on 23 June. The police had earlier said Manju, whose death had triggered protests in the prison, was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts. Manju’s post-mortem report has been received and it suggests multiple injuries on her body, Rahatkar said adding that the details of the report were yet to be known. According to her, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Swati Sathe on Thursday submitted a detailed report to the Women’s Commission on Manju Shetye’s death and the subsequent protests by the jail inmates. Talking about the SIT, she said, “The Women’s Commission will form a three-member SIT in connection with Manju’s death. It will be chaired by a retired high court judge and it would comprise a retired senior police officer and a woman NGO member.” The SIT will record statements of the Byculla jail inmates, including Indrani Mukerjea, she said. “Police have registered a case of murder against the jail staff, who allegedly beat up Manju Shetye and they have been suspended,” Rahatkar said. “The SWC has sought a detailed report on the condition of women prisoners in the state within the next 15 days,” she said. Following Manju’s death, the enraged inmates had risen in protest on Saturday, with some of them going to the prison terrace, while others making a bonfire of newspapers and documents inside the premises to express their anger. Later, the Nagpada police had booked nearly 200 inmates of the Byculla jail, including Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea , who is lodged in the same prison, for rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on a public servant and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Six jail staffers had been placed under suspension and police had registered a case under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder) against them.