A Sessions court here has directed prison officials to conduct an internal inquiry and inform it about the circumstances in which an under-trial prisoner who was shifted from Rohini Jail to Tihar Central Jail was moved back to Rohini and kept in the same barrack with a prisoner with whom he had allegedly got into an altercation previously.
The under-trial prisoner, Rajender, was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau with his face bandaged and injuries on his body. Rajender told the court that he was shifted back to Rohini Jail from Tihar on April 10 and was allegedly attacked by three inmates – Veer Bahadur, Himanshu and Hari Singh – in his cell on the intervening night of April 11-12. He alleged that at 2-30 a.m. while he was sleeping, he suddenly felt he was being slashed by blades and he found that Veer Bahadur had caught hold of his neck from behind and Himanshu and Hari Singh were inflicting blade injuries on him.
Ms. Lau has also sent the statement of Rajender, recorded by her, along with the order sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (North) for “taking appropriate action” on the allegations of the accused.
The Judge also questioned the inquiry conducted by the jail officials, which concluded that his injuries were self-inflicted. “From the injuries noticed on the body of the UTP Rajender, prima facie it does not appear that injuries are self-inflicted. How is it that the Deputy Superintendent has reached to a conclusion as to who inflicted injuries on whom and that too without a formal inquiry? It is also evident from the report of Jail Superintendent, present on record, that even previously UTP Rajender had some problem and issues with Veer Bahadur in the year 2012. It is strange that in this background the Superintendent, Jail, should have chosen to house him with the same inmate again.”
The Medical Superintendent, RML Hospital, has been directed to immediately constitute a Medical Board for examining the injuries received by Rajender and to submit a report within a week. Ms. Lau also directed that the three UTPs against whom Rajender levelled allegations be also produced before the same Medical Board for a similar examination of the injuries received by them. The court also directed that the CCTV footage, which may be relevant to the present inquiry, be saved and placed before the CMM.
