Give adequate protection to co-accused of deceased inmate in jail Delhi HC tells prison authorities
New Delhi Jan 27 PTI The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the prison authorities here to provide adequate security in judicial custody to the co-accused of undertrial Ankit Gujjar who was found dead inside the jail premises last year Justice Anu Malhotra also asked Delhi Police to provide adequate security to the wife of the petitioner co-accused and directed that subject to the orders of the Chief Justice their petition which sought directions to restrain the jail officials from threatening coercing injuringextorting them be placed on March 4 before the judge dealing with the case concerning the custodial death of Gujjar Lawyer Mehmood Pracha appearing for the petitioners alleged that the petitioner-inmate is facing extortion at the hands of certain jail officials who are threatening him with a similar fate as Ankit Gujjar Gujjar 29 was found dead inside his cell in Tihar jail on August 4 last year The lawyer also submitted that the petitioners are being harassed to influence the Gujjars family to withdraw their complaint related to his death and extortion of money Counsel for the state said that there were no objections against granting adequate protection to the petitioners Counsel for the CBI said that investigation into Gujjars death and allegations of extortion were going on Gujjars family had moved the high court last year alleging that he was harassed by the jail officials as he was unable to meet their regularly increasing demands for money and was murdered as a part of a pre-planned conspiracy While transferring the probe into the death to the CBI Justice Mukta Gupta had opined that the deceased had lost his life to custodial violence Subsequently a petition was moved by the co-inmates of the deceased who were also victims of the same assault seeking protection and security The prison authority had then said that directions were in place to ensure the safety and security of witness inmates and they are being lodged in an area under CCTV surveillance PTI ADS SA
New Delhi Jan 27 PTI The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the prison authorities here to provide adequate security in judicial custody to the co-accused of undertrial Ankit Gujjar who was found dead inside the jail premises last year Justice Anu Malhotra also asked Delhi Police to provide adequate security to the wife of the petitioner co-accused and directed that subject to the orders of the Chief Justice their petition which sought directions to restrain the jail officials from threatening coercing injuringextorting them be placed on March 4 before the judge dealing with the case concerning the custodial death of Gujjar Lawyer Mehmood Pracha appearing for the petitioners alleged that the petitioner-inmate is facing extortion at the hands of certain jail officials who are threatening him with a similar fate as Ankit Gujjar Gujjar 29 was found dead inside his cell in Tihar jail on August 4 last year The lawyer also submitted that the petitioners are being harassed to influence the Gujjars family to withdraw their complaint related to his death and extortion of money Counsel for the state said that there were no objections against granting adequate protection to the petitioners Counsel for the CBI said that investigation into Gujjars death and allegations of extortion were going on Gujjars family had moved the high court last year alleging that he was harassed by the jail officials as he was unable to meet their regularly increasing demands for money and was murdered as a part of a pre-planned conspiracy While transferring the probe into the death to the CBI Justice Mukta Gupta had opined that the deceased had lost his life to custodial violence Subsequently a petition was moved by the co-inmates of the deceased who were also victims of the same assault seeking protection and security The prison authority had then said that directions were in place to ensure the safety and security of witness inmates and they are being lodged in an area under CCTV surveillance PTI ADS SA
