SIMI suspects’ kin allege torture, NHRC orders probe

BHOPAL: The National Human Rights Commission on Friday set up a team of its own officials to probe allegations made by the families of 21 SIMI undertrials that they are being tortured in Bhopal central jail.
The families’ complaint, which was submitted on Wednesday, alleges that the all the undertrials are subjected to “inhuman custodial torture and solitary confinement” after last year’s jailbreak that ended in the death of all the fugitives.
“The DIG (I) of the Commission is requested to constitute a team of officers, headed by an SSP, to conduct an on-the-spot investigation and submit their report at the earliest in respect of the truth or otherwise of the allegations made in the complaint,” says the NHRC order.
Shama Parveen, wife of undertrial Md Javed, alleges that he was kept in solitary confinement after the jailbreak and was allowed out only once in 15 days when his family went to visit him. “They allow us to meet him for only five minutes though the jail manual says meeting time is 20 minutes. He was not allowed to take bath for two months and was made to stay in one set of clothes. He was subjected to regular beatings by the other prisoners on the directions of the jail authority,” she alleged. “Whenever I asked him how he was, he’d start crying.”
Anwar Hussain, brother of undertrial Javed, said, “They are deprived of even basic facilities. During winter they were not given blankets or warm clothes and now in summer they are given a single bottle of water to drink, bathe and for their daily use. It’s hell out there.” Suspect Md Irfan’s sister Raziya Bi claimed they aren’t allowed to sleep at night. “Every two hours they are woken up and assaulted by prisoners or jail authorities all night. All 21 of them are being subjected to torture,” she alleged.
According to the complaint filed with NHRC, undertrial Md Ikrar had made a statement during a video conference with session court on April 26 that he is been subjected to “repeated physical torture by jail authorities”. Another inmate, Abu Fazal, gave a statement to the court on May 11 that his leg was fractured due to “repeated torture”. There are complaints of adulteration of food, and denial of medicine and healthcare.
Family members of SIMI undertrials, along civil rights organization such People Union of Civil Liberties, Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association, People’s Watch and others, met NHRC member Justice (retd) D Murugesan in this regard.
PUCL member Madhuri Krishnaswamy said, “It’s a matter of grave concern if such torture is happening at a central jail like Bhopal’s. We really appreciate the prompt action taken by NHRC in this matter and hope that the team will come at the earliest and talk to all 21 undertrials.” DIG-jails Sanjay Pandey refused to comment when TOI contacted him.