New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today
appointed Advocate Rajesh Mahajan as Amicus Curiae to assist
the court in a case of alleged custodial death in Tihar jail
last month.
Accepting a copy of the inquest report prepared by
Metropolitan Magistrate over the incident, a Division Bench
of Acting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta
directed that a copy of the inquest report be given to Mahajan
and fixed hearing on the matter on May 17.
Sunder, a murder convict, died during an alleged fight
among prison inmates and jail authorities on February 2.
The Magistrate, in the report, has stated the convict was
beaten up with a blunt object and there scars on his neck and
other parts of the body.
According to the report, Sunder was beaten up by two
prison inmates Hansraj and Akbar and two jail officials
Sardare and Surender Rana.
On receipt of a letter, sent by the Union Law Ministry
based on a complaint from Madan Kishore, another brother of
the deceased, the Bench converted it into a PIL and took suo
motu cognisance and sought a status report from the jail
authorities.
According to Madan Kishore, the family of the deceased
was informed about the death on February 13 but the incident
had taken place on February 2 and Sunder succumbed to injuries
a week after the fight.
He claimed Manoj informed the family that during the
fight Sunder was beaten up badly by other two inmates with
iron rods in the presence of two jail officials.
The complainant alleged no action has been taken so far
against either the jail officials or the inmates.
PTI
