200 inmates, including Indrani Mukherjee, booked for rioting inside Byculla women’s jail

Around 200 inmates, including Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, were booked for rioting inside Byculla women’s jail after an inmate was allegedly beaten to death by prison officials.

The inmate, identified as Manjula Shette, had been serving life sentence since 2005 for murdering her sister-in-law. She had shifted to Byculla prison from Pune’s Yerwada jail just two months back.

On Friday, she was taken to JJ Hospital after being allegedly thrashed by jail officials. According to hospital authorities, she was brought to the facility around 7:30 pm and declared dead on arrival.

After the news of her death reached the inmates, around 200 of them – including media mogul Indrani Mukerjea – climbed up the jail’s terrace and staged a protest over Shette’s death on Saturday morning.

Some of the inmates also assaulted a prison guard during the commotion, threw utensils from the terrace and set fire to books, furniture and newspapers.

Nagpada police, who was called to pacify the inmates, subsequently booked the group for rioting, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, assault on public servant and other relevant sections of the IPC.

Meanwhile, six Byculla prison officials, including the jailor and five guards, were booked in connection with Shette’s death after the post mortem report showed evidence of multiple contusions.

The officials, Manisha Pokharkar (jailor), Sheetal Shegaonkar, Bindu Naikode, Waseema Shaikh, Aarti Shingane and Surekha Gadve were suspended on Saturday.

Although CCTV cameras installed inside the prison, cops are yet to confirm if the assault on Shette was captured in any of them.

The police will record the statements of the concerned officials soon.