Mumbai: The sessions court on Wednesday reserved order till November 28, on bail application of three jail authorities of Byculla jail in connection with Manjula Shetye custodial death case. The prosecution argued that there were more than 14 injuries on Shetye’s body, which were collectively and individually sufficient to cause her death.
Special public prosecutor Vidya Kasle argued before the court that the applicant’s argument that Shetye died of Tuberculosis or any other ailment is incorrect because the post-mortem report has clearly mentioned about presence of injuries on Manjula’s body, which were sufficient to cause her death.
Ms Kasle said a magistrate had visited Byculla jail on the date of incident but in her report she said everything was fine because she was accompanied by two of the accused.
According to her inmates were already warned not to complain and nobody had the courage to complain against them in front of the accused.
She said that this is not a case of bail because the accused mercilessly and brutally assaulted Shetye twice. She informed the court that as per statements of witnesses, Shetye was first beaten up in the office of jail superintendent and later in her barrack.
“On the second occasion, around six accused assaulted her continuously for around half an hour with elbow, knees and fists,” she alleged.
She told the judge that since the prisoners are females, the CCTV does not face the barracks. “But the victim and accused can be seen going upstairs, towards the barrack where Shetye was kept. The timing of the incident also corroborates with statements of witnesses,” Ms Kasle said.
Regarding the post-mortem, Ms Kasle pointed out that Shetye’s two fingers were swollen, there were injuries on her scalp. “This shows that these were injuries and not post-mortem lividity,” she said.
Important facts
According to the prosecution there were 14 injuries on Shetye’s body, which were sufficient to cause her death. Prosecution claims she did not die a natural death. Also, sequence of incident is corroborated by the CCTV footage installed inside Byculla jail. Within two months from her transfer from Yerwada jail Shetye made an application to be shifted from Byculla jail.
