No reprieve for accused cops in Shetye murder

Mumbai: A special women’s court on Tuesday rejected the discharge applications filed by six female police staff of Byculla jail, who have been arrested in connection with custodial death of Byculla jail inmate Manjula Shetye last year. The women police had sought for the discharge from the case on the ground that prior sanction to prosecute them was not taken before the court took cognisance of the case.

However, special judge Shayana Patil rejected the applications of all the accused persons.

The accused had argued that the sanction had been given after the chargesheet was filed in the case and the cognisance has been taken without sanction.  Therefore, they contended, it is invalid and they could not be prosecuted in this case.

Special public prosecutor had opposed the discharge application saying that the sanction was very well valid and considering the prima facie evidence on record against the accused they did not deserve to be discharged from the case.

Shetye was allegedly beaten to death on June 23 at Byculla jail and initially a case of accidental death was registered but later on complaint of a jail inmate FIR was lodged against jail staff and six women jail authorities were arrested.

The crime branch had filed a 990-paged chargesheet in October last year, naming, Manisha Pokharkar, Sheetal Shegaonkar, Aarti Shinghane, Vasima Shaikh, Surekha Gulve and Bindu Naykode for brutally assaulting Shetye. The assault led to Shetye’s death inside the prison premises. She was formally declared dead after being rushed to JJ Hospital hours later. The crime branch’s investigation in the case led to startling revelations of how the brutal assault went unnoticed during an inspection visit by a lady judicial magistrate.