New Delhi: The father of Asghar Ali Mansoori, a prisoner who died by suicide in the Nashik Central prison on October 7 and alleged harassment by jail authorities, and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) have filed a petition in the Bombay high court demanding that an independent inquiry be conducted on his son’s allegations.The Wire had first reported last month how Asghar wrapped his suicide note in plastic and swallowed it, so that it would be found during the post-mortem and not be hushed up by the jail authorities. He named five prison officials in his note, saying that they abused and harassed him, and his allegations were corroborated by six other convicts who were in nearby cells. Five of these prisoners (the sixth has since been released) later wrote saying they feared for their lives.In their petition to the high court, Asghar’s father Mumtaz Mohammed Mohid Mansoori and PUCL have said an “impartial and independent inquiry into the nature and cause of [Asghar’s] death” is required.Mumtaz and other relatives had earlier alleged that while the police called them to take down their statements, they refused to file an FIR against the accused officials. A police official investigating the case told The Wire then that since the police have already initiated an inquiry under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the case, they will decide whether or not to file an FIR on completion of the inquiry. “The family has claimed that the deceased person did not know to write or read Marathi. The suicide note was in Marathi. We are trying to ascertain who helped him in writing it and if the names mentioned in the letter are truly behind his death,” said police inspector Ganesh T., who is handling the case. Ganesh also added that the note has five names in it and “not everything mentioned in the letter can be trusted”.Mumtaz, the petition states, believes that the officials named in the suicide note are responsible for his son’s death, and his son’s right to life was violated by the accused. The petitioners have also argued that the police should have automatically filed an FIR when the suicide note was found, based on precedent.“Not investigating the death of the son of the petitioner and the allegations made in the letters is a violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner and also may lead to more serious law and order problems in the jails,” the petition says.Also read: Police ‘Refused to Register Complaint’, Says Family of ‘Harassed’ Prisoner Who Died By SuicideAn independent probe is needed, the petitioners argue, since the accused officials are still working at the Nashik Central jail. “…they [the officials] are likely to tamper with the evidence and threaten the witnesses who are mainly prisoners of the Nashik Central Prison.”Given the circumstances, the petitioners have asked that the Bombay high court to order the police to register an FIR, as well as order an independent and fair probe into the matter. They have also asked that all records pertaining to Asghar, including his medical records, be made available to his family, and that a Nasik district judge conduct an inquiry into the prisoner’s death.The petitioners have also asked for protection for all the prisoners who corroborated Asghar’s allegations, and the suspension of the officers they have named.
