Two prisoners booked for sexually assaulting inmate of Arthur Road Jail

The two accused have been identified as Sameer Shabbir Shaikh alias Pudi, 22, and Rashid Hassan Faraz, 36. They were originally arrested in drug-related cases and have now been booked under sections 377 (unnatural offences), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, said a police officer attached to NM Joshi Marg police station.

MUMBAI: A 23-year-old inmate of Arthur Road Jail, arrested in a POCSO case, has complained that he has been sexually assaulted by two other prisoners.

Mumbai, India - May 11, 2020:Mumbai Central Jail during the COVID 19 pandemic at Arthur Road in Mumbai, India, on Monday, May 11, 2020. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The NM Joshi Marg police have said they have registered a sexual assault case based on a complaint lodged by the victim inmate, who hails from Devariya district of Uttar Pradesh. According to the police, the complainant was arrested in a POCSO case from Bhandup and has been in the jail since April 2023.

According to the complainant, the accused sexually assaulted him several times in the toilet in the early hours on June 9 when other inmates were asleep. He has claimed that the two accused abused and threatened him as well. One of the accused inmates is a jawabdar — appointed by the jail authorities to take care of the barrack and is influential.

The police said that the victim inmate’s medical test has been done at JJ Hospital and once they get the report, they will take further action.

The two accused have been identified as Sameer Shabbir Shaikh alias Pudi, 22, and Rashid Hassan Faraz, 36. They were originally arrested in drug-related cases and have now been booked under sections 377 (unnatural offences), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, said a police officer attached to NM Joshi Marg police station.

“As per the complainant’s claim, he was threatened and even assaulted by both the accused on June 9. As soon as the jail authorities came to know about the incident, the victim inmate’s statement was recorded, and later, NM Joshi Marg police were informed. The police have recorded the statement of the complainant inmate and registered a case in the matter,” said Nitin Waychal, superintendent, Arthur Road Jail.

“The accused are already in prison and therefore, we will wait for the medical report from JJ Hospital, where the medical test of the complainant has been done, before taking any further action,” said a police officer. “We also plan to record statements of other inmates,” added the police officer.

“The incident according to the complainant happened in early hours of June 9 in the toilet when other inmates were asleep. The complainant has claimed Faraz, who has been in the jail for the last four years has been appointed by the prison authorities as jawabdar,” said the police officer.

The jail officials, however, said they appoint inmates as jawabdar who co-ordinate in the barrack with other inmates for food as there are around 200 inmates in one barrack.