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Muslim prisoner branded with Om symbol in Tihar jail, court issues notice

Undertrial branded with ‘Om’ symbol in Tihar jail

Delhi court orders inquiry against Tihar jail official after an undertrial lodged in Tihar jail alleged that he was beaten up and branded with the ‘Om’ symbol on his back by a prison superintendent in his office.

A Delhi court ordered an inquiry on Friday after an undertrial lodged in Tihar jail alleged that he was beaten up and branded with the ‘Om’ symbol on his back by a prison superintendent in his office.

The jail authorities later confirmed that an inquiry into the alleged incident has been initiated by DIG (Prisons).

The case came to light after the man’s family approached the court with a complaint that their son’s life was in danger inside the jail as he had been subjected to torture by the staff.

Shabbir alias Nabbir, 34, a resident of Seelampur in northeast Delhi, has been lodged in Tihar since March 2016. On April 12, Shabbir addressed a complaint to the superintendent of jail number 4, Rajesh Chauhan, that the induction stove in their barracks was not working properly.

Thrashed, starved

Angry with his complaint, the official summoned Shabbir to his office, where he was allegedly thrashed and subjected to cruelty by the official and some other jail staff. He was also allegedly deprived of food for two days.

The metropolitan magistrate of Karkardooma Courts, who ordered the inquiry, has sought medical examination of the undertrial for the burn imprint on his back and asked the investigators to collect CCTV footage and statements of other inmates about the alleged incident. The court also asked the jail authorities to ensure the safety of the inmate in jail.

Shabbir has already been shifted to jail number 1, said Tihar authorities.

Jail authorities said Shabbir, a member of the Irfan gang, is a “notorious criminal who is currently in judicial custody under MCOCA, attempt to murder and Arms Act.”

“He is not only a repeat offender but also a jail offender and has violated prison rules on several occasions,” read a statement released by authorities at the Tihar jail.