Change jail, say attacked Amravati case accused

MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Pathan, 24, and six other accused arrested in connection with Amravati chemist Umesh Kolhe's murder, has asked the Arthur Road jail authorities to transfer them to another prison for security reasons. The court has been informed about their request.
Pathan was attacked by a group of five inmates in the jail on Saturday night. The N M Joshi Marg police on Tuesday registered an FIR against them under Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 143 (unlawful assembly) and 149 (guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC.
The group of five, most facing serious charges like murder, had attacked Pathan in barracks housing around 40 inmates at around 10.30pm. He sustained bruises on his hand and neck, said police.
The jail authorities informed the local police about the incident and an FIR has been registered. Investigators will now record statements of witnesses who were present in and around the barrack when the assault took place.
Seven persons had been arrested in connection with the murder of Kolhe, 54, in Amravati on June 21. Kolhe was murdered allegedly for sharing a social media post supporting the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks about Prophet Mohammed. The case was later transferred from Amravati police to the NIA.
The prison authorities have submitted a report to the court about the assault. The court has sought reply from other prisons where the Kolhe murder accused could be shifted. "The accused requested transfer to some other jail. We have informed the court about it," said an officer from the Arthur Road jail. The Arthur Road jail, which has an official capacity of 804 inmates, currently houses more than 3,000 inmates.