Delhi court seeks CCTV footage on Sharjeel’s allegations of assault inside jail

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday directed authorities to produce CCTV camera footage of the Tihar Jail as it heard the plea moved by activist Sharjeel Imam alleging assault and harassment inside the prison, where he is currently lodged in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots’ “larger conspiracy” case.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat also directed the duty register of jail sewadars to be presented before the court in the next hearing on July 20.
“Let the concerned Jail Superintendent be also present on the next date of hearing for assisting the court in disposal of the present application. Let the register of the inmates/sewadars, who participated in the said surprise search, as stated, may also be produced in the court on the next date. Let the CCTV footage of all the said three cameras for 30.06.2022 for the period 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. be also produced on the next date i.e. 20.07.2022,” read the order.
Imam, who is in judicial custody in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case, had approached the court seeking directions for ‘protection of his life’ inside the cell of Tihar, where he is currently lodged in.
“On June 30, at around 7.30 p.m., the Assistant Superintendent, along with 8-9 convicts came, to the cell of the applicant in the name of carrying out a search. The search operation is not permissible by the convicts and can only be carried out by competent staff. During the aforesaid search, the petitioner’s books and clothes were thrown away, he assaulted and called a terrorist and an anti-national when he tried to protect his belongings,” read his application filed in Karkardooma court through his counsel Ahmed Ibrahim.
He sought directions from the authorities concerned to protect him from such incidents in the future and sought direction from jail authorities for keeping the video recording in the CCTV camera of the jail at the relevant time.
Imam’s plea said though he requested the Assistant Superintendent to prevent the convicts from assaulting him, however, hie plea was not heeded.
“It appeared that the Assistant Superintendent was complicit in the illegal act,” Imam said in the plea. He alleged that some inmates also tried to place some contraband in his possession.