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Inmate alleges torture for exposing drug trafficking inside Thane jail
An undertrial prisoner lodged in Thane Central Prison has moved the Bombay high court alleging he was being tortured by the jail authorities for complaining about trafficking of narcotic drugs inside the prison.
An undertrial prisoner lodged in Thane Central Prison has moved the Bombay high court alleging he was being tortured by the jail authorities for complaining about trafficking of narcotic drugs inside the prison.
A division bench of justice AM Khanwilkar and justice AR Joshi directed the assistant public prosecutor to take instructions from the inspector general (IG) of prisons as to what action has been taken on the complaints made by the inmate, Dhanesh Shivdasan.
Shivdasan stated in his petition that the then IG prisons had visited the Thane Central Prison in November 2010. During the visit, Shivdasan had brought to his notice some illegal activities that were taking place inside the prison, including trafficking of narcotic drugs.
However, instead of taking action against the persons involved, on November 24, he was transferred from Kalapani Ward to Circle Ward, where inmates accused of involving in drugs-related offences are being lodged. Shivdasan alleged the inmates there were told that he had complained about drug trafficking inside the prison.
Counsel for the undertrial, Indu Verma, said the jail authorities started harassing the petitioner after he complained about the illegal activities.
Assistant public prosecutor Kumar Saste, on the other hand, pointed out that the prison authorities had issued notices to the inmate for breach of prison rules.
The court, however, pulled up the prosecutor observing he should try to take instructions from the IG Prisons as to what action was taken on the inmate’s complaint instead of trying to defend the officials of Thane Central Prison. The matter will come up for further hearing after two weeks. The Wagale Estate police in Thane arrested Shivdasan in March 2006 in connection with a murder case.
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