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New Delhi, Monday, 30 March 2009: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM) strongly condemns the continuing beatings and torture of inmates taking place at present in Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmadabad (Gujarat), where Modi`s handpicked jailors are subjecting prisoners to continuous inhuman treatment and denying them medical treatment and visits by relatives and lawyers. The inmates` problems worsened after their PIL in Gujarat high court praying for the transfer of the jailor Shri V. Chandrashekar on 23 March. Next day the jailor went on a short leave and the new jailor Shri Pargi allegedly announced on arrival that he has come to teach them a lesson.

Beatings and torture with renewed vigour started from the next day in which jail staff as well as police officers from outside the jail took part. This led to a hunger strike by around 70 percent of the inmates since the afternoon of 25 March. The inmates are demanding the removal of the jailor (superintendent) and the application of the jail manual. Upon application by lawyers of the undertrial prisoners next day (26 March), the court deputed the public prosecutor, three medical doctors, and a defence lawyer to go to the jail to prepare a report (panchnama). This led to more severe beatings of inmates by the jail staff and police personnel from outside the jail as well as by crime branch officials. Inmates are complaining that some of them are seriously injured but are denied medical treatment. They have conveyed apprehension to their lawyers and relatives that some of them may be killed or allowed to succumb to their injuries. The Sabarmati Jail lacks medical facilities. Since Saturday, 28 March, no one including lawyers has been allowed to meet the prisoners.

Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of the AIMMM, requested the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court to intervene immediately to save the lives of the inmates of Sabarmati Central Jail, punish the erring jail and police officials and place a monitor inside the jail to ensure that inmates are not beaten and tortured to satisfy the beastly urges of Modi and his henchmen.

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