Byculla Jail inmate murder: Role of prison doctor under probe

The probe into Byculla inmate Manjula Shetye's death is going to open up a can of worms, as it will attempt to answer questions on whether there was a delay in calling on-duty prison doctor

The probe will take a deep dive into the role of the prison doctor on duty at Byculla Jail in Manjula Shetye's death

The probe into the controversial death of Byculla inmate Manjula Shetye is going to open up a can of worms, as it will attempt to answer searing questions on whether there was a delay in calling the on-duty prison doctor, and if so, why the delay; if there was negligence in treatment; along with looking into some other angles. Minister of State (Home), Ranjit Patil confirmed that an internal high-level committee, headed by DIG Swati Sathe, had been constituted to probe Shetye's death and make recommendations.

Manjula Shetye

Probe set up
Patil said, "A comprehensive internal inquiry has been ordered and it will cover all aspects, including the role of the prison doctor and also if there was any delay in communicating the condition of the prisoner to the jail doctor. Also, we are keen to know why corrective steps were not taken immediately so that the situation could have been avoided," adding, "I have learnt from senior prison officials that on the day of the incident, a magistrate had visited the prison for a routine inspection, but I am not aware about the timings."

The minister said, "The government is clear that we do not want any repetition of such incidents in prisons. So, we are awaiting the report and all parameters will be studied minutely to ensure that the gaps are filled in extensively."

Also read - Indrani Mukerjea instigated inmates during riot, Byculla Jail officials allegedly told Crime Branch

Question time
Mid-day has also learnt that Dr SA Khan, the chief medical officer at Byculla jail and his colleague, a female doctor, have already given their statements to the committee, but attempts to reach Khan yielded no results.

Also read - Mumbai: Did favours to prisoners lead to Byculla Jail inmate Manjula Shetye's murder?

Meanwhile, the hospital has shrugged off any responsibility and said that since the patient was brought dead to them, there was very little they could do.

Also read - Byculla jail murder: Four more inmates come forward as witnesses

Dr TP Lahane, dean of JJ Group of Hospitals said, "Manjula was declared dead by the on-duty medical officer and she had multiple blunt injuries all over her body. But, as she was brought dead, we cannot comment about negligence or delay in attending to her." On the question of whether the concerned doctor had been summoned by the committee, Lahane said, "Our findings are corroborated in the autopsy report and we will give our statements when asked for."

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

Prisons on guard
When contacted, Inspector General (Prison), Rajvardhan Sinha, refused to make any comment about the inquiry, but said, "All I can say is a comprehensive inquiry is being conducted and once we get the internal report, we will concretise the required measures."

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!