Tihar jail torture: Staffers suspended over allegations of ‘merciless’ beatings against prison inmates
- Prisoners claim they were mercilessly beaten by staff on November 21
- Members of staff suspended as Delhi’s High Court probes into the allegations
- Sopore court ordered one inmate to hospital to undergo neurosurgery
- Jail authorities said that the inmates had abused the jail staff
- See more news from India at www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome
Following the controversy over the allegedly ‘merciless’ beating of 18 terror suspects by the Tamil Nadu Special Force in Tihar Jaill, authorities on Thursday suspended all prison staff alleged to be involved in the incident.
A detailed report has now been submitted to the Union Home Ministry about the incident that took place on the intervening night of 21 November.
Inmates held at Tihar’s high-risk ward say they were were beaten and injured during a routine search.
A photo shows an unnamed prisoner held at the high-security wing of Tihar Prison, where inmates claim they were ‘mercilessly’ beaten on 21 November
However, no FIR was registered in connection with the case till late on Thursday. The event sparked outrage throughout the surrounding area when one of the victims, who was produced before a local court in Sopore regarding an old case, showed the brutal assault marks to the session judge.
Seeing the horrifying injury marks, the Sopore court ordered immediate admission of the suspect to the hospital where the doctors said Ahtisham Ahmad, a Hizbul Mujahideen suspect, had to undergo neurosurgery.
Speaking to MAIL TODAY, Ahtisham’s father Farooq Ahmad said his son has to undergo neurosurgery and had a fracture in his left hand.
‘He was beaten up only because he was found using a neck comforter that he himself had made using the pillow covers.
Doctors had prescribed him a neck comforter due to constant pain in his neck,’ he said. Doctors at SKIMS hospital in Soura said that Ahtisham had sustained serious injuries and the delay in treatment had worsened his condition.
‘The jail authorities used to claim that they will take the prisoners to the right path. If this is how they want to reform them, then they themselves have chosen the wrong way,’ said Farooq, a resident of Batpora- Sopore.
The matter came to light when the advocate of Syed Shahid Yousuf, another inmate who received severe injuries as a result of violenbce, went to meet Yousuf in jail.
MAIL TODAY obtained photographs that appear to show the injuries inmates allegedly suffered at the hands of Tihar prison staff
The advocate noticed injury marks on his body and the matter was taken to the High Court and a committee was formed to probe the incident. Yousuf is the son of Syed Salahuddin, the head of group of Hizbul Mujahideen.
Speaking to MAIL TODAY, Dr. Syed Umar, the brother-in- law of Syed Shahid Yousuf, said:
‘After learning about the incident I met Yousuf in Tihar Jail on Nov 24. He was not being given a proper medical treatment. He has received severe injuries on his head, legs and back.
‘He’s got injuries on his left shoulder as well and it has restricted the movement of his hand.’
In October Yousuf, 42, was summoned to Delhi by the NIA for questioning. His role was conclusively established in the case and he was arrested.