Byculla jail inmate murder: Guard Bindu Naikodi, 5 others arrested

A file photo of Byculla Jail which saw a riotlike situation on June 24 after the death of inmate Manjula Govind ShetyeOver a week after the death of inmate Manjula Shetye at Byculla Womens Jail the police finally arrested jail guard Bindu Naikodi and five other jail officials for their role in the murder yesterday Mumbai police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmi Karandikar confirmed the arrest of all the six accusedAlso ReadSouth Mumbai jail inmate murder Is state shielding alleged killersNaikodi a resident of Navi Mumbai who was accused of disrobing Shetye before allegedly beating her to death was produced before court yesterday evening and was remanded in police custody till July 7 Crime branch officials later arrested Manisha Pokharkar Waseema Shaikh Sheetal Shegaonkar Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingane from Byculla under Sections 302 murder and 34 common intention of the Indian Penal Code IPC They will be produced in court today a crime branch official saidManjula Govind ShetyeByculla Jail ka boss kaun According to the crime branch accused jailer Pokharkar had assaulted Shetye to settle old scores Pokharkar was holding a grudge against Shetye who was trying to become the prisoners leader in jailAnother officer privy to the investigations said Shetye who was also a yoga teacher in jail was on jailer Pokharkars radar ever since she was shifted to Byculla Womens Jail from Yerwada jail as a prisoners wardenAlso ReadMumbai crime branch to probe death of Byculla jail convictShetye was tasked with mulakat duty in the jail and was supposed to ensure that inmates were given enough time to meet their relatives But inmates had complained to Pokharkar about Shetye only allowing short meetings said the officerPokharkar who joined the prisons department as a constable and was later promoted as jailer Grade 2 couldnt tolerate her impudence On June 23 when another inmate made a similar complaint pertaining to the mulakat duty she summoned Shetye to her officeShetye who already had an altercation with the jail authority over not serving eggs and paav to the inmates for breakfast faced Pokharkars wrath The jailer reprimanded her and asked her to behave But the argument did not go down well and she was beaten up in her officeAccording to allegations made by prisoner Mariyam Shaikh in the FIR registered at the Nagpada police station Naikodi later dragged Shetye into a barrack She along with another guard Shegaonkar then disrobed her and assaulted her The jailer wanted to send a clear message that she was the boss another officer saidAfter beating her up the jail guards abandoned her there and left At around 6 pm when Shetye gained consciousness she asked the complainant Shaikh and another inmate to take her to the washroom But she lost consciousness again The jail doctor was then informed and she was rushed to JJ Hospital where she was declared dead CCTV footage shows jail staff dragging Shetye from one place to another the officer saidWho fueled the riotShetyes death caused a riotlike situation inside the prison with angry prisoners vandalising jail property the next day A senior jail official told midday that a jail superintendent who was suspended on molestation charges might have played a role in leaking the news immediately after it happened in order to take revenge on jail authoritiesThe police are also investigating if Solapur MLA Ramesh Kadam who is in the mens section of the jail had any role to play in the riot During the ensuing fracas Kadams sisters lodged in the womens section had climbed on to the terrace Kadam was seen trying to communicate with his sisters from below said the senior jail official