The National Human Rights Commission team had found complaints of barbaric and inhuman behaviour with 21 SIMI under-trials in Bhopal Central Jail to be true. The NHRC panel has allegedly recommended legal action against jail staff for harbouring religious antagonism against the under-trials.
“Jail staff seem to harbour religious antagonism to these prisoners which is reflected in inhuman treatment,” said Madhuri, co-ordinator for MP PUCL while referring to one of the recommendations made by the NHRC in it’s report on the basis of a complaint lodged by the families of 21 prisoners in Bhopal.
“The families of 21 prisoners, all accused in cases related to SIMI had met NHRC on May 24, 2017. During the meeting, they had registered a complaint before the NHRC by alleging systematic harassment, physical & mental torture, denial of mental treatment, religious persecution and intimidation being done by jail staff to these prisoners,” said Madhuri at a press conference on Saturday.
Taking a serious note of the complaint, the NHRC has sent a team to investigate the matter in June 2017, she added. On the basis of the findings, the NHRC has prepared a report where it has found complaints of verbal abuse, mental torture, prisoners being denied minimum sleep and inadequate medical treatment during their illness to be correct, she added.
The investigation team has recommended “appropriate legal action against the jail authorities who have been directly or indirectly involved in beating, torture, criminal intimidation and denial of basic human rights of the 21 prisoners. And also action against jail doctor for helping the authorities to cover up the abuse,” said Madhuri while refering to the NHRC report sent to Madhya Pradesh Government on October 10, 2017.
Shama, wife of Mohammed Javed (30), a resident of Mahidpur in Ujjain district told media persons that her husband is being tortured on occasions.
“I met my husband on March 15 and my mother-in-law met his son on March 26. During our meeting, he told us similar things that during night several time jail staff wakes him up on the basis of routine checking. On occasions, other prisoners namely Amit C, Dharmendra G and Vijay Verma hurl abusive words on him,” Shama said at a press conference.
The others present in the press conference include social activists - educationist Anil Sadgopal, Abdul Jabbar convenor of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, advocate Sajid Ali.