CBI registers case into death of undertrial prisoner in Delhi's Tihar Jail

NEW DELHI: The CBI has registered a case into the death of an undertrial prisoner at Tihar Jail in May 2002, officials said on Saturday. The action comes on the the directions of the Delhi High Court which had handed over the case, earlier probed by the Hari Nagar Police Station, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), they said.

Srikant Rama Swami, an Under Trial Prisoner (UTP) in Barrack No.4, Ward No.2 of Jail number 2 of Tihar Jail was found dead on May 14, 2002.

"It was alleged that the victim was beaten by his inmates and he died at the Safdarjung Hospital. In this case, Delhi Police had arrested four accused (all UTPs) and they are presently in judicial custody at Tihar Jail. CBI has taken over the case and investigation is in progress," CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said.

The high court had handed over the probe to the CBI on the plea of Swamy's mother Malika, who had alleged that her son's body had multiple wounds from sharp objects.

She had alleged that after looking at the photos and videos of the body, deep cut wounds on his thighs and hands were found which could not be caused due to cricket bats, as alleged, and such wounds would have been inflicted only by a sharp object.

In her plea before the court, she said her daughter and Swamy's sister had received a call from him, a day before his death, where he had said he would be murdered by the jail officers.

"Further, at the time of incident, a PCR call was received from the jail which was not from the officers, wherein the caller stated 'my brother has been murdered by RN Meena. I am in jail and R N Meena is also in jail, who is DS in jail and has assaulted me yesterday and also assaulted my brother with sticks...my brother Shreekant Rama Swami has been moved to DDU Hospital; my brother has been murdered'.

When Shrikant was admitted in hospital, after some treatment, he was declared dead," the high court had noted.