Student activist alleges mental harassment by jail officials

new delhi: Student activist Gulfisha Fatima, arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, alleged before a Delhi court on Monday that she was being subjected to communal slurs and mental harassment by jail authorities.

Fatima, an MBA graduate, is currently lodged in Tihar jail in the case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in

February.

The submissions were made before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat when she was produced through video conferencing in the case.

Fatima alleged that she was being discriminated against by the staff in

the jail.

"I have a problem in jail. Ever since I was brought here I have been constantly facing discrimination by the jail staff. They called me educated terrorist and are hurling communal slurs at me. I am facing mental harassment here. If I hurt myself, only jail authorities will be responsible for it," she alleged.

After Fatima made her submissions directly to the court, the judge asked her lawyer to file an application regarding this. To this, her counsel Mehmood Pracha said he will do the necessary in

the case.

The court had earlier taken cognizance of the charge sheet filed in the case related to the conspiracy in the riots and summoned all the 15 accused to appear

before it.

The court on Monday directed that the counsels of the accused be handed over a copy of the charge sheet and put up the case for further consideration on October 3.