‘Jail authorities used force on naval officer’

The judicial probe into the alleged assault on Emile Jerome Mathew, who is in Arthur Road Jail facing prosecution for allegedly killing media executive Neeraj Grover in 2008, concluded that the naval officer was beaten up.

The judicial probe into the alleged assault on Emile Jerome Mathew, who is in Arthur Road Jail facing prosecution for allegedly killing media executive Neeraj Grover in 2008, concluded that the naval officer was beaten up.

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After going through the reports Justice B.H. Marlapalle said: “There are findings that force was used [on him].” The report also says that Mathew’s behaviour was aggressive and he was violent. Mathew had filed a petition in the high court alleging that jail authorities beat him in November 2009.

Additional public prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh said, “He threatened one of the officers. When the officers tried to stop him, he fell on a pile of sand,” said Deshmukh.

“We [jail authorities] are not denying that force was used against him. But minimum force was used to control him,” said Deshmukh adding that a FIR was lodged against him for threatening the officer.

Mathew’s advocate, Khan Abdul Wahab, refuted the allegations saying Mathew was assaulted since he had first filed a petition seeking transfer to his previous barrack, where extradited gangster Abu Salem was also lodged.

The medical examination conducted on Mathew after the alleged incident suggested that there were 14 injuries on him.

A division bench of Justice Marlapalle and Justice Anoop Mohta asked the court clerk to give a copy of the report to Deshmukh and Khan. The matter will be heard after two weeks.