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Amravati murder: Accused attacked by jail inmates, ask to be shifted
On Wednesday morning, the prison authorities submitted a report to a special National Investigation Agency court and informed it about the accused’s request to shift them to another prison amid fears of a threat to their lives.
The seven accused in the murder of a chemist in Maharashtra’s Amravati district on Wednesday requested a city court to transfer them to another prison after one of them was allegedly attacked by inmates at Arthur Road jail here, prison officials familiar with the matter said.
Shahrukh Pathan alias Badshah (24) was allegedly assaulted by fellow prison inmates on Saturday. While a complaint was lodged at NM Joshi Marg police station on Saturday, a case of assault was registered against five prison inmates on Tuesday, officials said.
On Wednesday morning, the prison authorities submitted a report to a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court and informed it about the accused’s request to shift them to another prison amid fears of a threat to their lives.
The NIA did not object to the accused’s request. Prison authorities also backed the request as the prison was over-crowded, the officials cited above said.
The court, however, sought a formal response from prison authorities.
Pathan and six others were arrested in connection with the brutal killing of Umesh Kolhe for allegedly backing controversial comments by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed last month.
The NIA took over the probe on July 5.
The accused have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). They were sent to 14-days judicial custody on July 22.
According to the FIR on the alleged assault, Pathan, lodged in barrack number 2 of circle 11, was attacked while he was boasting about the killing.
“In the night of July 23, at around 10.30 pm, the incident occurred when Pathan was allegedly telling other inmates that he and his associates killed Kolhe in Amravati for supporting Nupur Sharma over her controversial statement. This didn’t go well with some other ‘Hindu’ inmates who then went and assaulted Pathan,” the FIR, reviewed by HT, said.
As the scuffle broke out, an alert was immediately sounded in the jail. Pathan, who sustained injuries on his neck and hand, was rescued and taken to the jail hospital for treatment, officials said.
The inmates who allegedly assaulted Pathan were identified as Kalpesh Patel, Hemant Maneria, Arvind Yadav, Shravan Chavan alias Awan and Sandeep Jadhav. They were thereafter shifted to a different barrack, the officials added.
“We have registered a case under various sections of Indian Penal Code against five inmates and are investigating the case,” Sunil Chandramore, senior inspector at NM Joshi Marg police station, said.
