Mumbai Court Orders Departmental Inquiry Against UP Jail Official For Releasing 3 Prisoners Accused In MCOCA Case

A special court in Mumbai has directed the inspector general of prisons, Uttar Pradesh, to initiate a departmental inquiry against a jail superintendent for releasing three prisoners whose custody was required in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). 
    
In the order passed on Monday, special judge B D Shelke said the superintendent of the central prison in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda was time and again directed to produce the accused before the special court in Mumbai either physically or through video-conferencing. 
    
The custody of the accused — Mohamed Salman Qureshi, Sanjay Salunkhe, Wajid Shah, and Amir Rafiq Shaikh — was required in an MCOCA case in Mumbai. 
    
A show-cause notice was issued to the superintendent on June 12, as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him, the order stated.
    
The jail superintendent on Monday produced Shaikh before the special judge and presented his report, which did not state anything about the other three accused.
    
A radiogram sent by the superintendent to the special court on January 28 this year stated that Qureshi, Salunkhe, and Shah had been released from prison on July 29, June 2, and June 22 respectively 2022. 
    
“When he (jail superintendent) was aware that the MCOCA special case registered against these accused is pending before this court, he released the above-named three accused from jail, instead of producing them before this court or handing over their custody to this court,” the special judge said.
    
Citing that it was serious misconduct on the part of the jail superintendent, the court said departmental proceedings need to be initiated against him by a competent authority.
    
The court then directed the inspector general of prisons, Uttar Pradesh, to initiate a departmental inquiry against the jail superintendent.