Man, arrested for sexually assaulting girl, allegedly thrashed

A man, arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, was stripped and thrashed by prison guards, his lawyer told a special court on Monday, following which the judge sought a report from jail authrorities.

The man is accused of sexually assaulting the girl when she went to his shop at a village in Jamalpur police station area to buy grocery last Thursday.

He was arrested on Saturday and when he was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate on Sunday, he was sent to judicial custody and asked to be presented before the special POCSO court in the district on Monday.

Around 8 pm on Sunday, he was taken out of his cell in the prison, stripped and thrashed with iron rods by five-six guards, his lawyer alleged when the man was produced on Monday before the special POCSO court.

The man, who has been charged under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, has been seriously injured in the incident, it was alleged.

Following the allegations, POCSO court judge Syed Niazuddin Azad expressed his anger and sought a report from the jail superintendent.

He also directed the jail superintendent to be present before the court on Thursday and provide an explanation.

Judge Azad has also directed the jail authorities to take care of his medical needs.

The incident has also been reported to the DIG of the state's prisons department.

The incident comes days after the killing of the four people, accused in the rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian in Hyderabad, in an encounter with police.