'Indrani Mukerjea asked inmates to throw chilli water, use kids as shields'

Indrani Mukerjea. File pic

To call the latest revelations regarding the riot in Byculla women's prison after the death of inmate Manjula Shetye spicy wouldn't be an understatement. Sources claim jail officials told the Crime Branch that Indrani Mukerjea, had asked others to mix chilli and pickle powder in water and throw on the jail staff during the riot.

Snatched the mic
The officials claim Mukerjea also asked them to burn newspapers and other jail equipment. Sources also said that in their preliminary investigation, the crime branch was told that Indrani had allegedly given several instructions to the other inmates, one of which was to make the protest against Shetye's death big and use children as human shields. She supposedly snatched the microphone to make these announcements in jail.

Also read - Byculla Jail inmate murder: Indrani Mukerjea's complaint to be probed by the Crime Branch

After this agitation, Indrani had filed a complaint in the Nagpada police station, alleging she was threatened and beaten by the jail superintendent. On June 24, a doctor from the JJ Hospital came to the prison for her check up and found no injury. However, Mukerjea's advocate moved court seeking a medical examination for the assault.

Minor injury
Reports of the exam said the injury is simple in nature. It is a contusion of size 3 cm'4 cm over left arm and 4 cm above the elbow, which is reddish brown in colour. There is another contusion of size 2cm'2cm over the right arm and 4 cm below the elbow.

Also read: Byculla Jail rioting case against Indrani Mukerjea, others handed to Crime branch

Since her injury was minor, police have registered only non-cognisable offence against the superintendent under section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Also read - Mumbai: How authorities averted prison break at Byculla women's jail

Authorities prep report
The crime branch is investigating three different occurrences in the prison: Manjula Shetye's death, the riots that followed and Mukerjea's allegations. However, the jail authorities are also preparing a report through an internal inquiry. Jail officials said they are preparing a report, which they will submit in the next two days to the Maharashtra Women's Commission and to the Additional Director General of Police (Prisons).