The Hindu : Front Page : I was illegally detained, tortured: Pragnya

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

I was illegally detained, tortured: Pragnya

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: PTI

Sadhvi Pragnya Singh coming out of a police vehicle at the Nashik district court on Monday.

Nashik: Malegaon blast suspect Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur has made stark allegations of illegal detention and torture against the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Her lawyer, Ganesh Sovani, filed an affidavit to that effect in the Nashik court on Monday. It will be heard on November 29.

According to the affidavit, Sadhvi Pragnya was illegally detained between October 11 and 23 in Mumbai. It alleges that her disciple, Bhimbhai Pasricha, was asked to beat her “with sticks, belts, etc., on [her] palms, forehands, etc.” Pasricha was also beaten up when he refused.

“Ultimately with great reluctance, he complied with the ATS orders but obviously being my disciple, he exerted the very minimum force on me. He was then pushed aside by a member of the ATS squad known as Khanwilkar, who then himself commenced beating me severely with a belt on my hands, forearms, palms, feet, soles, causing me bruises (sic), swelling and contusions in these areas,” the affidavit alleges.

Sadhvi Pragnya has indicted “a senior officer with a moustache,” apart from Mr. Khanwilkar. In addition to physical torture, she was subjected to “vulgar abuse and obscene language.” “My Guru was abused and my chastity questioned. I was physically and verbally traumatised to the extent that I wanted to commit suicide.”

The sequence of events stated in the affidavit is as follows:

When she received the first call by the ATS on October 7, she was in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. She was asked to come to Surat. In Surat, police inspector Sawant questioned her about her motorcycle LML Freedom. Not convinced with her answers, she was taken to Mumbai on the night of October 10, after which the alleged beating and torture began.

Sadhvi Pragnya alleged that following the torture, she took ill and was hospitalised twice. “I developed acute abdominal and kidney pain. I lost my appetite, became nauseous and giddy and prone to having bouts of unconsciousness.”

In Mumbai, she was allegedly admitted to the (Intensive Care Unit) ICU of Shusrusha Hospital in Dadar, Mumbai. Pasricha signed the medical admission forms and Mr. Khanwilkar paid the bills. Later she was taken to another hospital — a highrise building. However, she does not remember the name of this hospital, states the affidavit.

Mr. Sovani later told the media that Sadhvi Pragnya had malaria on October 27, for which she was taken to the J.J. Hospital in Mumbai on October 28, but she refused to get admitted there. This is not mentioned in the affidavit.

The sadhvi has also stated that she was taken to Hotel Rajdoot in Nagpada in Mumbai. She was kept there in rooms 315 and 314. She signed the hotel register. From there, she was asked to call a “couple of persons” and a female disciple.

The mobile was given by the ATS. Sadhvi Pragnya was asked to say that she was “hale and hearty and doing fine.” The affidavit mentions the mobile number she used to make the calls. It does not mention the names of people she called.

In addition, narco tests were done on her were without her consent, she alleged.

Mr. Sovani said Sadhvi Pragnya told him about her condition over three meetings with her on November 12, 13 and 14.

The first meeting lasted 5 to 6 minutes, the second 8-10 minutes and the third meeting 20 minutes.

Sadhvi Pragnya, who was produced in the court as her judicial custody ended on Monday, appeared relaxed. She smiled and waved to her sister and other relatives.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page