Tests to reveal if batons were used on Manju Shetye

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch will send a set of wooden sticks and batons for forensic analysis to ascertain if one of them was used to allegedly sexually assault Byculla women’s prison inmate Manju Shetye (45), who died on June 23 hours after being assaulted by six jail officials. The sticks will be checked for possible remains from Shetye’s private parts and will be tested with her vaginal swabs, sources said.

The step comes amidst allegations by inmates that the six arrested prison staff used a wooden stick to sexually assault Shetye after thrashing her in the barracks of Byculla women’s prison. The provisional post-mortem report from JJ Hospital has, however, come in contradiction to the allegation and hence the officials are double-checking on it.

“There are several scientific tests involved to probe various aspects in the case. All those tests will be conducted during the investigation,” said a crime branch officer, requesting anonymity.

The investigators are also awaiting viscera and chemical analysis report on Shetye, which are crucial evidences in the case, officials said.

The crime branch has completed recording statements of the six accused prison staffers, — Manisha Pokharkar, Bindu Naikade, Waseema Shaikh, Sheetal Shegaonkar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shigane — in the murder case. They have denied assaulting Shetye and have pointed fingers at the inmates and their infighting, which officials are refusing to confirm.

The four-member all-women team of crime branch has now started recording statements of the inmates in the prison. They have been provided with more teams from unit III of crime branch to speed up the process.

The focus is on completion of most of the statements before the police custody of the six accused ends on July 7, in a bid to gather grounds for seeking their further custody.

The prison department will soon compile its internal report on the incidents that unfolded in the barracks on June 23. The inquiry is to ascertain if there were any administrative lapses while handling the situation, which led to Shetye’s death.

One Incident, Four Probes:
The six prison staff allegedly assaulted Manju Shetye (45), on June 23 and she was declared dead later that evening at JJ Hospital. The death sparked violence in the prison barracks

Crime branch is probing the murder case and a rioting case has also been registered in the incident

Indrani Mukherjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, alleged she was assaulted by prison staff, following which Nagpada police started a separate inquiry

The prison department is also inquiring into possible administrative lapses while handling the crisis inside the barracks.

NC registered on Indrani complaint

Meanwhile, the Nagpada police station has registered a non-cognisable (NC) complaint in connection with the alleged assault on Indrani Mukherjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. The NC’s investigation has been transferred to the Mumbai crime branch, who are already investigating the Manju Shetye murder case and the rioting by inmates in protest against the killing. 

Mukherjea had alleged in the CBI court that the staff at Byculla women’s prison had thrashed her after the inmates indulged in rioting inside the prison protesting Shetye’s alleged murder.

Mukherjea had also told the CBI court that the prison staff also threatened to target her sexually like they had Shetye. Following her accusations, a medical examination was conducted on her at the JJ Hospital. The medical report suggested she had sustained injuries from a blunt object on her body.

Mukherjea then filed a complaint with the Nagpada police and mentioning the sequence of incidents.