Police suspect stick used on Manju Shetye was disposed off
The CCTV cameras have revealed that one of the accused jail staffers entered the barrack with a wooden stick.
Mumbai: Investigators, who are probing the murder of Byculla women’s prison inmate Manju Shetye, suspect that the wooden stick used to thrash and sexually assault her was disposed off a day after the incident. The CCTV cameras have revealed that one of the accused jail staffers entered the barrack with a wooden stick, however, it is missing since the incident.
The sources said that on the day of rioting and arson DIG Swati Sathe had also visited the women’s prison, however, no steps were taken to secure murder scene.
It is also unclear if the prison officials conducted a panchnama of the body and the crime scene, before it was taken out of the prison premises, saying that she was dead for hours before being taken to JJ Hospital, sources said. Shetye was declared dead on arrival at JJ hospital on June 23.
The Mumbai crime branch officials added that the teams are now in trying to verify if the stick was also set ablaze during the rioting that took place on June 24. According to the police’s investigation, the inmates lodged in the women’s prison protested against Shetye’s death and set furniture on fire.
It has been almost three weeks since the brutal murder took place inside the barracks at the women’s prison. However, the crime branch is unable to find the weapon (wooden stick), which is a crucial evidence in the case.
“The footage captured by CCTV camera, which was on the first floor, where Shetye’s barrack was located, has captured the six accused staffers dragging her till inside the barrack. The accused are seen hitting her with a stick while dragging her,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.
The investigators are now questioning the inmates to find out how many of them witnessed the brutal attack that led to Shetye’s death. They are also being questioned about the stick to establish if the wood was used as fuel in the arson.
The Nagpada police had registered FIR against prison staffers Manisha Pokharkar, Bindu Naikade, Waseema Shaikh, Sheetal Shegaonkar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shigane.