PILIBHIT: No bullet was fired. Neither was any sharp edged weapon used. Yet, six inmates of Pilibhit jail were killed and 22 seriously injured when some of them allegedly tried to escape on November 9.

According to the inmates of Pilibhit jail, the 28 prisoners were dragged out from their barrack (No 7) one by one and brutally beaten by the jail guards with the help of PAC jawans to “teach them a lesson” and also to settle scores.

Going by the account given by the prisoners, it appears a miracle that only six of them died. The ‘extent of the barbaric assault can be gauged from the fact that at least 13 of the 22 injured have multiple fractures in both their legs.

Though none of the injured admits that they tried to escape, prisoners lodged in the neighboring cell (6) say that about seven or eight inmates of barrack 7 had come out after cutting an iron rod.

This was followed by a scuffle with two jail guards, Hem Chandra Sati and Rajendra Dixit, who had spotted the prisoners trying to break away. The jailbreak attempt was effectively foiled at 1 a.m. on Nov. 9.

Later, all the inmates of Barrack No 7 were tortured by the guards. ‘Amid jawans of [AC surrounded the barrack and asked the prisoners to hand over them their clothes and Gutkas (abridged version of Guru Granth Sahib): All of them were Sikhs, lodged under TADA.

The guards then lit a bonfire of Gutkas and the turbans of the prisoners near their barrack. The prisoners were dragged out individually and beaten with Jathas and rifles even as the PAC jawans held other inmates at gunpoint.

“You were trying to escape so that all of us would be suspended,” ‘one of the guards while beating a prisoner mercilessly, according to inmates of Barrack No 6 which also houses TADA. Detainees.

‘The guards repeatedly referred to the escape of four Punjab militants from Lucknow jail, two years. ‘Ago, resulting in the arrest of the jailor, N.N. Srivastava, on charges: ‘of abetting their escape by receiving bribe. Though senior jail officials reached the spot, none of them restrained the guards, the inmates say.

Six inmates, Sukhdev, Labha Singh, Tarsam, Sarvajit, Karaj and Jeet Singh died before they could reach the hospital. The remaining was escorted to the hospital.

A senior official of Pilibhit district Administration, who visited the jail after the incident, said that he found evidence of something having been burnt near Barrack No. 7. He also admitted that only eight of them tried to escape but all

28 were punished by the “agitated” jail guards.

The jail inmates maintain that the jail break attempt was used by the guards to settle scores with inmates of Barrack No 7, who were being supplied with liquor by the guards.

Earlier, the guards had a tiff with the prisoners over the rate of liquor after the latter refused to pay the enhanced price, they say.

‘The Pilibhit district officials admit that the guards supply banned goods to prisoners. “Of course, they charge handsome for their ayes an official.

Meanwhile, the district Administration has converted both the jail and the hospital into a police camp. “Under TADA rules, we cannot allow anyone other than close relatives to meet the prisoners,” says the district Magistrate, Ms. Shalini Prasad.

Prasad refuses to comment on prisoners’ allegations of police excesses, “Both magisterial and GID inquiry are pending, I don’t want to say anything at the moment,” she says.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 25, 1994