Author: TN Raghunatha
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 18, 2008
URL: http://dailypioneer.com/135223/Sadhvi-alleges-torture-in-custody.html
Maintaining that she was "totally innocent"
of the charges made against her in connection with the Malegaon blasts, Sadhvi
Pragya on Monday alleged that the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials had
tortured her and mentally harassed her to such an extent that she wanted to
commit suicide at one stage while she was in their "illegal" detention.
On a day when the Nashik court extended the
judicial custody of eight accused in the Malegaon blasts, including herself,
till November 29, Sadhvi Pragya filed before the court an eight-page affidavit,
in which she gave the details of the manner in which she was tortured while
she was under "illegal detention" of the ATS.
In her affidavit, Sadhvi Pragya alleged that
on October 12, 2008, 11 days before she was formally arrested, an ATS officer
named Khanvilkar had beaten her up "severely with a belt on my hands,
forearms, palms, feet, soles, causing me bruises, swelling and contusions
in these areas".
Stating that she had been illegally detained
between October 10 and 22, 2008 during which she was tortured and mentally
harassed, Sadhvi Pragya said: "I was physically and verbally traumatised
to the extent that I wanted to commit suicide".
Sadhvi Pragya went on to demand a detailed
inquiry into her illegal detention and custodial torture. "……a
detailed inquiry of my illegal detention, custodial torture, etc. needs to
be done and for which I am ready and willing to get subjected to any such
medical test or tests and I also want the ATS officers, who interrogated me,
tortured me, etc. should also be put to the same tests," she said.
She also alleged that she was denied access
to a lawyer or any member of her family till October 24, 2008, nearly a fortnight
after she was detained by the ATS in connection with the Malegaon blasts.
Sadhvi Pragya claimed that three narco tests
had been conducted on her - one while she was in "illegal detention"
prior to October 23, 2008, second on November 1 and a third narco test was
conducted on her before she was produced before the court on November 3, 2008.
In her defence, Sadhvi Pragya said in her
affidavit: "I unambiguously state that I am totally innocent of any offence
whatsoever. In particular I have no connection with the Malegaon bomb blast
of 29.9.2008".
On the use of an LML Freedom two-wheeler owned
by her in the Malegaon blasts, Sadhvi Pragya told the court in her affidavit:
"I say that in Surat during the course of my interrogation with Sawant,
I mentioned to him that the LML Freedom two-wheeler once owned by me was subsequently
sold to one Sunil Joshi of Madhya Pradesh way back in October 2004 and that
Joshi had paid me Rs 24,000 for the same. I had also signed the necessary
T.T. Form for RTO transfer in October 2004 itself.
I categorically asserted to Sawant that since
October 2004 I had no control over the vehicle or its movements and usage".
Sadhvi Pragya, who signed the affidavit prepared
by her lawyers after the latter translated the contents of the English affidavit
in Hindi, alleged that the ATS' conduct "discloses a blatant violation
of statutory provisions of law, custodial abuse and violence, mental and physical
torture and prolonged illegal detention".
Charging that she was being victimised owing
to political reasons, Sadhvi Pragya said: "The ATS are fully aware that
I am innocent.
It appears, however, that they have a mandate
from their political superiors to necessarily implicate me in Malegaon blasts
with a view to suggest that Hindu religious extremists were resorting to terrorism.
The prolonged illegal detention, custodial abuse and physical torture were
designed to compel me to confess to crimes I had not committed".
Sadhvi Pragya also offered to subject herself
to a detailed investigation, including a narco test, for the allegations she
has made against the ATS in her affidavit. She also urged the court to call
for a report from the ATS for her admission to two hospitals and the treatment
she had undergone in two hospitals and also the reasons for her stay at Hotel
Rajdoot in Mumbai.
