Bombay HC satisfied with probe in Manjula Shetye’s death

Mumbai: The Bombay high court while expressing satisfaction with the investigation in the death of Byculla jail inmate Manjula Shetye said there was no need for a court monitored probe and disposed off a public interest litigation demanding the same and handing over the probe to CID.

A division bench of justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Shinde was hearing a public interest litigation praying for a court monitored probe in the death of Byculla jail inmate Manjula Shetye on June 23 allegedly at the hands of jail staff. The peition had further alleged that the officials involved in the probe including the jail officials, dean of J J Hospital and Byculla police were trying to play down the role of the jail staff in the incident. As a result the petitioners had sought a court monitored probe and handing over the probe to the CID. The petition was contested by advocate Nitin Satpute and there were intervention applications filed by a couple of activists too.

However, on Thursday, after going through the probe report submitted by the state, the bench said that it was satisfied with the investigation and there was no need for it to monitor the probe and hence disposing off the petition. The court however, gave the petitioners the liberty to file a fresh petition seeking a probe in the allegations of threat to the inmates who gave statements against the jail staff.