HC grants time to panel probing violence on Tihar inmates

Hinting at possible violence on Tihar inmates by the jail staff, a three-member committee appointed by the Delhi High Court today informed it that they have "materials" in connection with the November 21 incident, but needed more time to arrive at a conclusion.
The high court had termed "very disturbing" the alleged attack on inmates lodged in a high-risk ward in Jail No. 1 of the central jail.
It then appointed the panel to look into the matter. The fact-finding panel headed by a district judge was to enquire into the incident in which 18 inmates were allegedly beaten up.

The committee today sought an extension from the court to conclude its probe. The committee, in its report, has said the inmates were beaten up without any justifiable reason.
While referring to a letter written by District Judge Brijesh Sethi, who heads the panel, seeking extension of time, the bench noted that "the committee have materials with regard to the allegations but they need time to reach a conclusion".
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar allowed an extension of two weeks to the panel.

"We find it reasonable to extend the time. Therefore, we extend it by two weeks from today. We will wait for the materials to be on record. We are considering where this FIR has to be sent," the bench said and posted the matter for Feb. 7.

"The committee has undertaken an extensive exercise by physically visiting the inmates," the bench said, adding that the panel has recorded statements of 49 inmates.
The high court was hearing a PIL by advocate Chinmay Kanojia, who has alleged that his client Shahid Husuf, who is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and undergoing trial, was beaten up without any reason by the Tihar Jail staff.