Byculla jail violence: Abha Singh demands CBI's intervention

Hours after the Mumbai Police arrested six accused in the Manjula Shetye alleged murder case at the Byculla jail, advocate and activist Abha Singh on Sunday demanded the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over for an impartial investigation to the matter.

Questioning the delay in the arrest, Singh said this gave the accused time to destroy evidence and to scare the witnesses.

"When an FIR under Section 302 was registered against the supervisor of Byculla Jail and the five guards, why did the Bombay police not arrest them for six days? Why did it wait and give them time to destroy evidence and to scare the witnesses? This delay is going to harm the trial in the long run," she said.

"It has now become necessary that the case is given to the CBI because the local police will remain partial and will protect the jail authority. The CBI should now takeover and ensure that no such incident happens anywhere in jail in India," she added.

All the six accused named in the FIR regarding the murder of inmate Manjula Shetye inside the Byculla Jail, have been arrested by the Mumbai Police.

Earlier yesterday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI inquiry in the murder case of Shetye.

The High Court observed that issue of security of jail inmates has become important and it needs to be looked into.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday assured the truth in the Byculla jail violence, involving Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, would come out soon.

"Whatever the truth is, will come out soon," Fadnavis said.

However, the Mukerjea's lawyer demanded the special CBI court to record her statement and to conduct a medical examination.

Mukerjea's lawyer had filed an application in the special CBI court, claiming that she was assaulted by the jail authorities after the death of a convict, Manjula Shetye, sparked a protest in the prison.

Reportedly, over 200 women inmates, including Mukerjea, were booked for rioting and criminal conspiracy inside the Mumbai's Byculla jail.

The Nagpada Police also filed an FIR against six women prison staffers, including the jailor for the murder of Shetye.

On August 25, 2015, Mukerjea was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with the alleged murder of her daughter in 2012. She was charged under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Since September 2015, Mukerjea has been held in judicial custody at a women's-only prison in Byculla Jail.