Delhi: Court seeks CCTV footage after under-trial alleges assault in Tihar jail

A Delhi court on Monday asked the Tihar jail authorities to produce the CCTV footage of the prison on an application by a man, accused of being a member of a jihadist terrorist group inspired by Islamic State (ISIS), who has claimed that he was beaten up by other inmates there and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”

A Delhi court on Monday asked the Tihar jail authorities to produce the CCTV footage of the prison on an application by a man, accused of being a member of a jihadist terrorist group inspired by Islamic State (ISIS), who has claimed that he was beaten up by other inmates there and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.

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The accused, Rashid Zafar, was arrested in 2018 on the suspicion of being a member of an ISIS-inspired group which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts to target politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

In his plea, filed through advocate MS Khan, Zafar he was beaten up and forced to chant religious slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” by his fellow inmates. The plea sought appropriate directions to the jail superintendent to look into the matter.

On Monday, the prison authorities opposed the plea and said the injuries were self-inflicted, said Qausar Khan, appearing for Zafar. She said the court, in order to verify the stand, sought the CCTV footage from the jail.

The searches and the arrests came a month before the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

According to NIA, a locally made rocket launcher, materials for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers were recovered from the searches. The agency also said it recovered 25kg of explosive material -- potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and sulphur.