Team Herald
PANJIM: Not nine, 15 or 20 but as many as 50 under trial prisoners were allegedly ruthlessly beaten up by jail guards at the Colvale Correctional Home prompting criminal complaints against them at Mapusa police station.
The aggrieved prisoners have resorted to a hunger strike till they get justice. Over six of the victims are foreign nationals. Sources said representatives of these countries are likely to meet Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday.
The number of 50 came up when member of the Goa State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) visited the jail on Tuesday to take a stock of the situation and recorded the inmates’ statements in an independent inquiry.
Advocate Raju Poulekar, who represents many of the under trials and his team met their clients in jail on Tuesday, a day after the prison authorities denied them permission. Poulekar confirmed that not only his clients, but other under trials too, were beaten and intimidated by some jail officials over the last few days. He said other inmates requested him to inform their advocates about the beatings.
He said one Nigerian had his hand fractured, one Italian’s leg fractured. They have been shifted to another jail. The prisoners were made to stand in a queue and beaten one at a time. The prisoners said all this happened in the presence of the jail superintendent and that they were not sent for medical examination. The medical examination took place only later when the issue came up.
Sources said the prisoners undergoing trial for different offences such as murder, robbery, drug peddling and other cases narrated the ordeal in detail to the commission members. “They were beaten with sticks even on their private parts. One Nigerian has fractured his leg and an Israeli has got his hand fractured. All the under trials will be sent for medical examination,” a reliable source told Herald.
The beatings came to light on Monday when Nigerian Victor Ubanoze and five others related the account during their deposition before the NDPS Court at Mapusa. Until then, information that nine alleged drug peddlers from three countries – Portugal, Nigeria and Israel – were beaten had emerged.
In this regard, five under trials through their legal representatives have filed complaints with Mapusa police station and an inquiry is underway. A senior police officer told Herald that FIRs will be registered after a thorough scrutiny.
“All the complaints will be inquired into. Besides recording statements of the inmates, they will also be sent for medical examination. After considering all these factors, FIRs will be registered,” the officer said adding the police inquiry is separate from the GSHRC’s inquiry.
The inquiry officials including IGP and others who visited the jail today have taken photos of the bruises and injured inmates.
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CM directs suspension of jail superintendent
The State government has taken serious cognisance of the assault on prison inmates at Colvale Correctional Home with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar directing the suspension of Jail Superintendent Melvyn Vaz. Four jail guards have already been placed under suspension.
Vaz was on Tuesday transferred as chief officer of Mormugao Municipal Council.
Speaking to Herald, Parsekar said he has ordered a magisterial inquiry under IAS officer Sachin Shinde. “I had a meeting with the Chief Secretary and directed him to suspend the superintendent. He was today transferred from his present posting,” Parsekar said.
The CM said that prima facie the assault by the guards was on the superintendent’s direction. “The issue is very serious. Government approach towards prisons is of them being corrective homes and we can’t accept such behaviour,” he said.
The prisoners in their statement have disclosed that they were beaten up in the presence of Vaz, who did nothing to save them
