PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court on Thursday ordered the city’s Central Prison superintendent and a social activist to suggest measures for imprisoned Indian Hamid Nehal Ansari’s protection.
Ansari has been attacked by inmates on three occasions over the last couple of months. The bench also ordered the prisoner to come up with steps for his own protection.
A copy of the recommendations is to be submitted before the court. The bench – after taking up the petition filed by the Qazi Muhammad Anwar demanding protection for Ansari – was informed that the Indian national was being held with ‘dangerous prisoners’ who were awarded major punishments for heinous crimes.
Qazi Anwar said a military court awarded him a three-year jail term and he was initially kept with death row inmates. His detention in such cells was earlier challenged at the PHC. Anwar said the writ was withdrawn after jail authorities claimed he was kept in the cell due to security reasons.
“However, he was attacked and injured three times over the last couple of months and shifted to the hospital for treatment,” the counsel added.
He said even the head warden would subject him to brutality and slap him on a daily basis without any reason. Qazi said that Ansari lodged a complaint about this with the superintendent. He added even though Ansari was attacked by inmates, he was kept with a convict who was sentenced to death for slaughtering a man instead of being transferred to a safer place. He requested the bench order the superintendent to shift him to a safer part of the jail where there were no threats to his life.
Central Jail Superintendent Masudur Rahman and Deputy Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah appeared before the bench. Rahman said scuffles between inmates over petty matters were part of the daily routine and he could not guarantee complete control.
He said Ansari was kept in a death cell as his scuffle with another inmate resulted in injuries to both of them. However, the two later agreed to bury the hatchet.
Justice Khan remarked it was the superintendent’s responsibility to control the situation within the four walls of the jail. “It is your duty to maintain law and order. As a jailer, you are responsible for protecting the lives and property of inmates,” he said.
The superintendent said that the head warden was also suspended after Ansari registered a complaint and pointed out that the facility had a capacity for 350 inmates but was housing over 3,000.
The bench, after hearing the arguments, directed the superintendent to sit with social activist Rakhshanda Naz and Ansari to come up with steps for the inmate’s protection.
