Court acquits prison inmate accused of attacking officials

A sessions court has acquitted a 25-year-old jail inmate accused of assaulting officials inside the Thane Central Prison in 2017, ruling that the prosecution has failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Additional Sessions Judge GT Pawar, in a judgment delivered on June 11, acquitted Arman Nafis Khan of offences under sections 353 (Assault on a public servant), 332 (Causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the prosecution, Khan had attacked prison officer Sambhaji Pise and two other personnel with a metal strip on March 2, 2017, in a high-security barrack of Thane Central Prison.

The judge pointed out several shortcomings in the prosecution’s case, noting that although the incident allegedly occurred inside the prison and several inmates were present, crucial evidence was not produced.

“The injuries caused to the accused were not properly explained by the prison authority,” the court stated, while observing that the “defence of the accused that he was beaten up by the informant and others, and to avoid action against them, this report was lodged, cannot be ruled out.”

The court also expressed concern over the prison authorities’ failure to provide footage from CCTV cameras sought by the investigating officer and the delay in allowing him to visit the scene.

“The conduct of jail authority in not allowing Investigating Officer to visit spot immediately... withholding of CCTV footage and non-explanation of injuries to accused properly creates a serious doubt about the case of prosecution,” the judge said.