Police begins recording Pekhalepukar’s statement

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch has begun the process of recording the statement of lady metropolitan magistrate J V Pekhalepukar, of the 39th Vile Parle court, who had inspected the Byculla prison on the day of Manju Shetye’s murder on June 23.

As per the schedule, Pekhalepukar was set to inspect the prison and officials recording her statement are going to find how an injured inmate lying in the prison barrack did not come to her notice.

During the questioning of the six arrested jail staffers, they stated that if Shetye was assaulted during or before the inspection, the inmates should have brought it to her notice.

 “Statement of the inspecting authority is also crucial in the sequence of incidents. We want to know if she was hinted or told about the attack,” said a crime branch officer.

Metropolitan magistrate Pekhalepukar had visited the women’s prison and the barracks. The process of recording her statements was however delayed as the police approached the chief justice of Esplanade Court seeking his permission to record her statement and were told that a go ahead was not needed.

The investigators then approached Pekhalepukar, however, she refused to record her statement without prior permission from the chief justice. The crime branch officials have now written to the chief justice of Esplanade Court seeking a proper permission.

Timely inspections are conducted in the prisons, to keep a watch on the internal activities and functioning. Details of the inspections and the inspecting authorities’ remarks are also recorded in the ‘minute books.’ The step is aimed at improving the condition of jails and improving management of jails. As per the state policy, the inspections in the prisons are documented under the categories of medical, executive and judicial.

Last week another revelation about the stick that was used to target Shetye was disposed with the prison’s garbage, was made before the Esplanade Court in an application by prisoner MLA Ramesh Kadam.

The crime branch officers are recording the statement of the inmates who claim to be the witnesses to the brutal attack while all the arrested accused have been sent to judicial custody.