Women inmates thrash four Mumbai gang-rape accused in jail

The four accused arrested for the gangrape of a 22-year-old photojournalist at Mahalaxmi's Shakti Mill on August 22 were roughed up by women prisoners in Byculla jail, officials said. Mohamed Thaver reports.

The four accused arrested for the gangrape of a 22-year-old photojournalist at Mahalaxmi's Shakti Mill on August 22 were roughed up by women prisoners in Byculla jail, officials said.

HT Image

Sources told HT the assault took place on September 5, when Siraj Rehman Khan, Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari were sent to judicial custody. Since the superintendent of Arthur Road jail averred that the accused would not be safe there, they were taken to Byculla prison which is primarily for women, but has a separate enclosure for male prisoners arrested for petty crimes.

A jail official said: "The accused were being taken for medical check-up when some women inmates, including a few Nigerians, charged towards them and beat them up. We intervened immediately."

The official said the accused did not sustain major injuries. "A security cordon has since been thrown around them to ensure they are safe while using common facilities," he added.

The fifth accused, being a minor, is lodged at the Umerkhadi observation home in Dongri.