Manju Shetye case: Defence seeks CCTV footage

Mumbai: The defence in the Byculla prison inmate Manjula Shetye’s death case on Friday requested the court to direct prosecution to provide them a copy of the CCTV footage of that day in the prison because they said the chargesheet filed by the police is against the accused.

The court has directed the prosecution to file reply on this application.

All the six accused arrested in connection with death of Shetye had filed bail pleas in the sessions court in July.

The Crime Branch has arrested Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade, all jail authorities and police constables.

When their bail plea came up for hearing before sessions judge Dattatray Satawalekar, defence lawyer Vaibhav Bagade made an application before the court seeking direction for the Crime Branch Mumbai, which is investigating the matter, to produce CCTV footage, of the day of the incident, of Byculla jail before the court.

According to defence the investigating agency has filed the chargesheet in connection with this case but it speaks only one side of story, which is against the accused, but if CCTV footage is brought before the court the truth will come out.

Following this, the judge asked special public prosecutor Vidya Kasle and investigating officer Prabha Raul to file reply on this application and deferred hearing till October 12.

It may be recalled that the Byculla jail in Central Mumbai on June 23, witnessed rioting by prisoners after Shetye died due to alleged torture at the hands of prison authorities.

While on the one hand, inmates have claimed that Shetye died due to the brutal beating she received from jail officials, on the other hand prison authorities have claimed that she fell unconscious and died due to the fall.