Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan who was booked under UAPA informed the court that her life is at stake if any immediate preventive measures were not taken. She alleges that she was beaten badly and is abused physically and verbally several times by the jail inmates of Mandoli jail.
Karkardooma Court’s Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat took strict note of the allegations made by Ishrat Jahan and had sought a status report from the jail authorities till 10 am of 23rd December 2020.
Ishrat Jahan submitted before the court, “I have been attacked for the second time now within approximately a month. There is an inmate here who provokes the others against me and is a lesbian.” Ishrat explained the way she was beaten, abused, and her clothes torn on the morning of 22 December.
“The first time this happened to me were on 20 November and it was again one of these women who provoked the episode then,” Ishrat said.
She further added, “It has been ten months and I have dealt with too many things, but now I request you to transfer these three, or transfer me to another jail. All these women indulge in vulgar activities. I already have medical complications and am in jail in a highly sensitive case. I can not handle this.”
ASJ Amitabh Rawat then questioned the Assistant Superintendent of Madoli jail who told the court that necessary steps have been taken by the jail authorities. He told the jail official that she seems to be in a state of utter fear, please talk to her immediately and understand the situation. He then asked them to file a detailed report about the steps taken to allay her apprehension and her fear.
“Take all the necessary steps. Take immediate steps. I don’t want to hear that the accused was further harassed by her inmates or anybody else because she complained. I do not want to hear that the present accused is harmed in any way,” said ASJ Rawat.
Advocate Pradeep Teotia appearing for Ishrat intervened by saying, “The submission is not only about her safety, but when a female outrages another’s females modesty there are provisions in the law for it. Stringent and criminal action must be taken and an offence is made under Section 354 IPC (outraging modesty of women). You can scare my client as much as you want, but we will take these complaints up to higher authorities if needed.”
Tahir Hussain’s Advocate Rizwan had also alleged that the accused booked during North-East Delhi riots are facing discrimination in the prison and are addressed as terrorists.
“Almost all the accused are facing discrimination in jail. They have been declared as terrorists before the conclusion of the trial. Jail authorities behave adversely with them. Proper monitoring by the court is important in the cases, specially the conspiracy case in which the accused have been booked under the UAP Act,” he alleged.
Ishrat was arrested on February 26 from the Khureji protesting site during the horrible Northeast Delhi riots. She was released on bail on March 21 and then arrested the same day under the Unlawful Assembly (Prevention) Act.
She was granted a ten-day interim bail on June 10 for her wedding and then she returned to the jail on June 19.
