Senior prison official Krishna Kumar, along with two wardens, deposed before the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission on Monday and denied allegations of human rights violations, which was highlighted by former DIG (Prisons) D. Roopa in her report on irregularities at the Bengaluru central jail in Parappana Agrahara.
Mr. Kumar and two others have been charged with assaulting inmates, who staged a protest supporting Ms. Roopa. In the wake of the report and subsequent protests by inmates, KSHRC took up a suo motu case regarding the alleged assault.
Commission Chairperson Meera Saxena, on Monday, along with a team of officials, questioned them for half an hour. “Their statements have been recorded and will be corroborated with other details of the investigation, before a conclusion is arrived at,” said a KSHRC official, adding that a report will be submitted to the government for further action.
Earlier, 30 convicts from the central prison, who were shifted to different jails across the State, made submissions through video conference before the KSHRC team that they were assaulted by prison officials and other inmates for informing Ms. Roopa about the various irregularities.
Ms. Roopa had visited the prison on July 16 night when the convicts told her about the bribery scandals involving prison officials. After she left, furious prison officials allegedly assaulted the convicts. Many were shifted to different prisons across the State without being given any valid reason.
