Gangster alleges inhumane treatment inside Tihar jail

In the plea filed before Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, Bawana said he and "other inmates" have proceeded on a "hunger strike" as they were being treated "worse than animals" by the jail staff.

The court directed the jail authorities to respond to the petition, filed through advocate M S Khan, by August 11.

The application claimed the petitioner was locked inside a stinking cell for 24 hours, without any reason.

Bawana, lodged in the high-risk ward of the jail, is not being given fresh water, proper food or medicine, it claimed.

"It appears the jail authorities want that he become ill or get into depression," the lawyer alleged.

A Delhi court had last year acquitted Bawana of the charge of trying to kill a policemen in a 2015 shootout but held him guilty of possessing arms illegally.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell had earlier charge sheeted Bawana and nine others, including ex-MLA Rambeer Shokeen, for allegedly running an organised crime syndicate in the Delhi-NCR region.

The police had also charge-sheeted Bawana's elder brother Pankaj Sehrawat and other arrested members of the syndicate for alleged offences punishable under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Agencies