The Surat judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) court judge on Friday recorded the statements of one of the accused — arrested in connection with the Surat communal clashes — after his kin moved an application alleging that he was being tortured in jail. The jail authorities have denies the torture allegations. JMFC judge Prakhar Gautam recorded the accused Feroz Shah’s statements (in camera). His remarks have been kept confidential. The clashes in different places across Surat were triggered after six minors allegedly pelted stones at a Ganesh pandal amid the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. So far, 27 people have been arrested and six have been detained in the case. Feroz Shah has been accused of pelting stones on police and public at Saiyedpura police chowki on September 9. In his application, moved through his elder brother Fazlu Rehman, Shah alleged that he was “beaten up by six convicts and jail officials at Surat Central Jail”. Fazlu Rehman had submitted the application against Surat Central Jail superintendent, jail officials and six prison inmates before 14th additional civil judge, JMFC judge Prakhar Gautam on Thursday. Detailing the chain of events, the application stated that a stone pelting incident took place at a Ganesh Pandal at Variyavi Bazaar area in Surat on September 9 at 9.30 pm. The residents caught six minors and handed them over to police, who took them to the nearby Saiyedpura police chowki at 10pm. The application states that a large crowd gathered outside the Saiyedpura police station and a stone pelting incident took place. The Lalgate police had registered a case of attempt to murder and rioting among other offences against 200 youth. Later on September 9 night, the police arrested 27 accused stone pelters who were identified through videos and the CCTV cameras. The arrested accused were produced before Surat JMFC court of judge K A Marwaha. The court had granted two days of police remand. After their police remand ended, the accused were sent to judicial custody at Surat Central Jail. The application quotes Fazlu Rehman as saying, “I met Feroz Shah on September 18 at Surat Central Jail. He told me that, in the jail all the accused were beaten up by six convicts and jail officials.” “The convicts threw hot cups of tea on them including on Feroz and beat them up. The jail police officials also beat them up with wooden sticks and forced them to do 100 sit-ups. They are being kept in a high security barricade,” alleged the application. Fazlu Rehman added that he had given a written complaint against the jail officials and six convicts to Surat police commissioner on September 18 and also had sent a copy via email to home minister, chief minister and National Human Rights Commission New Delhi. Fazlu Rehman’s lawyer Javed Multani said, “Feroz’s hearing was carried out in the court of judge Prakhar Gautam, on Friday. Now we are waiting for the further procedures of the court.” Rejecting the torture claims, Surat Central Jail superintendent J M Desai said, “The allegations made by Fazlu Rehman Shah before the court are totally baseless and nothing of this sorts has happened on the jail premises.”
