By Zuber Ansari. Photograph by Trupti Arekar
While inmate who was arrested for mobile theft case dies in hospital, family alleges custodial death. The family alleged that they were informed about his death only after two days.
In a shocking incident in the Byculla Prison, the family members of a 25-year-old inmate, who was declared dead at JJ Hospital, have alleged that he was brutally assaulted inside the Byculla jail prison where he was lodged in a mobile theft case. The family claimed that the police, prison authorities and the hospital did not inform them when he was admitted at the JJ hospital last Thursday and they were informed about his death only after the Navi Mumbai Railway police informed them on Sunday.
According to police sources, the deceased has been identified as Aqeel Sayyed, a resident of Cheetah Camp in Trombay and he was arrested by Vashi Railway police. After producing him before the court, he was remanded to judicial custody and was lodged at the Byculla jail.
Last Wednesday, Aqeel's mother Khatija went to meet him into the Byculla jail along with her sister, where they met him and come to know Aqeel was brutally assaulted by jail staffers. Shockingly, since Wednesday her family members got call from Vashi GRP police constable Mujawar who informed them that Aqeel has died in the JJ hospital.
According Khatija Sayyed, mother of Aqeel, “When I met him in Byculla jail on Wednesday, he narrated the torture which he faced inside the jail. When jail authorities had our address and our mobile numbers, then why did they not informed us when he was admitted in the hospital. I got a call from one of the officers from Vashi railway police named Mujawar on Sunday who informed us about Aqeel's death. We could see several injury marks on Aqeel’s body, including on his face, chin, back and hands.
We inquired with the hospital authorities about the cause of death and what exactly happened to him, but they did not tell us anything stating that they cannot give any documents to us unless there are court orders. We are sure that he has been beaten to death in jail, and later admitted to the hospital.’’
Speaking to ADC, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone III Abhinash Kumar said he did not know about the issue, will check and later inform.
Last year (September 24) at JJ Hospital one Firoz Sheikh was declared dead and his family members alleged that he was brutally assaulted inside the Arthur Road jail where he was lodged in an assault case. The family claimed that neither the police or prison authorities nor the hospital informed them about his death for almost five days.Deceased Firoz was arrested by the Bandra police on September 9 in an assault case. After producing him in the court, he was sent to judicial custody and was lodged in the Arthur Road jail. His family members alleged. Family members were not having any clue about him until they got information on September 29 that he had died in the hospital. The family members claimed that they were only aware that he was in jail. They immediately rushed to the hospital and started inquiring about him. They demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter.