Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) on Thursday announced the setting up of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a retired judge, to probe the alleged murder of convict Manjula Shetye inside the jail on Friday last, hours after high-profile under-trial Indrani Mukherjea lodged a complaint of assault with the Nagpada Police station.

After visiting the Byculla jail premises and interacting with the inmates and jail officials, MSCW Chairperson  Vijaya Rahatkar set up a three-member SIT — comprising a retired High Court judge,a retired IPS officer and a woman representative from an NGO — to investigate the circumstances leading to the murder of convict-inmate Manjula and fix responsibility for the crime.

“During my visit to the Byculla women’s jail, I interacted with both the inmates and the jail officials. Some of the inmates whom I spoke to did confirm that inmate Manjula Shetye was beaten up by the jail staffers. Immediately after my return my the jail, I ordered the setting up of an SIT to investigate the inmate’s death and fix responsibility for the crime, “ Rahatkar told The Pioneer.

Rahatkar, who spent more than two hours inside the Byculla women prison premises, said, “The women confided in me about the atmosphere prevailing inside the prison. I advised them to be fearless and write to the Commission whenever they faced any problem within the prison. I have also instructed the jail officials to put up our commission’s board within the premises so that the inmates could approach us either through letters or telephone calls and air their complaints”.

Earlier, in the day, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Swati Sathe met Rahatkar and submitted a report on the death of inmate Manjula and the subsequent investigations by the jail officials.

In a related development, under-trial Indrani Mukherjea — who had informed a special CBI court on Wednesday that she was beaten up in the jail and threatened with sexual assault by the jail staff for protesting against Manjula’s murder — lodged a formal complaint with the Nagpada police station.

After her appearance before the CBI court, Indrani was taken to the State-run JJ Hospital for a medical check-up. later on, her statement was recorded in the Nagpada police station till 00:30 hrs Thursday after registering a formal complaint against jail officials.

The report of the medical tests conducted on her at the JJ Hospital confirmed that she had indeed suffered injuries on her legs and hands. The medical report would be submitted to the CBI court in the coming days.

In a statement made before Special CBI Judge J. C. Jagdale, Indrani had said on Wednesday: “I was hit on the hand and legs. I can barely walk. The Jail Superintendent told me ‘tu witness banne ja rahi hai… tereko bhi dekh lenge’ (you are going to become a witness, we would see you)....I was threatened that they will do the same thing that they did to her (Manuja Shetye)”.

Confirming that Manjula was assaulted by jailor and five jail staffers who had  booked on Saturday for Manjula’s alleged murder, Indrani said: “On Friday, I saw jail officials dragging Manjula Shetye by her hair with a sari wrapped around her neck. The officials inserted a stick inside her private parts. The male officers then took her to the hospital. The next day, I learned that Shetye had died”.

Indrani, who is the prime accused in the much-discussed Sheena Bora murder case, had told the court that she was prepared to record a Magistrate under section 164 CrPC, which is admissible in a court of law on the assault on her and the alleged murder that took place inside the Byculla women prison, which houses more than 350 women inmates and at least 25 children who stay with their jail inmate-mothers inside the prison,

 It may be recalled that 290-odd women prisoners – including  Indrani – had on Saturday morning climbed up the terrace of the two-storey jail building and staged a protest against the inmate Manjula’s alleged murder. The protesters set books, newspapers and clothes on fire and shouted slogans against the prison officials. They also reportedly clashed with the jail staffers who tried to quell the rioters.

 The Nagpada police booked 291 prison inmates, including Indrani, for allegedly indulging in a riot and assaulting the jail staff on Sunday.

Meanwhile, six women jail staffers --- Manisha Pokharkar, jailor, Bindu Naikode, Waseema Shaikh, Sheetal Shegaokar, Surekha Gudve and Aarti Shingane, are currently under suspension, pending a full-fledged inquiry into their alleged role in the murder of inmate Manjula.  

 Interestingly enough,  Indrani -- who along with her media-baron husband Peter Mukherjea and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna are being tried for the murder of her step daughter Sheena Bora – has emerged as a whistle-blower on the recent incidents within the Byculla prison.

 Indrani, who was arrested on August 25, 2015 for her alleged role in the murder of her daughter Sheena, is the key accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. Indrani’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her second husband Peter Mukherjea are two other accused in the case. 

 Sheena was daughter of Indrani from her first live-in partner Siddhartha Das. Incidentally, Sheena was in a live-in relationship with Rahul Mukerjea, the son of Peter Mukherjea – a relationship which the CBI has stated in its affidavit both Indrani and Peter had disapproved.

Indrani, Peter and Khanna are being currently tried in the special CBI court, where charges were framed against the three on January 17, 2017.