Umar Khalid Accuses Jail Authorities Of Not Providing Necessary Medical Treatment

Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested in connection with a northeast Delhi riots case, alleged before a court on Wednesday that he has not been given any medical treatment by the Tihar jail authorities.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dinesh Kumar directed the jail superintendent to provide proper medical treatment to Khalid as per the prison rules. The court also directed the jail authorities to file a compliance report within two days.

Khalid claimed that he has been suffering from severe toothache for the past three days.

Responding to Khalid’s complaint, the court said if there was no dentist available in the jail to conduct a check up till next day, Khalid may be taken to a dentist outside the prison.

“Jail Superintendent concerned is directed to provide proper medical treatment to the accused (Khalid) as per rules of Jail Manual. If the dentist is not available in the jail for check up till next day, the accused may be taken to a dentist outside the prison also for the check up and for the treatment, if required. A report of compliance be filed in the court within two days,” the court said in its order.

Khalid said he was suffering from immense pain and that it would be difficult for him to wait another week for the dentist to visit the jail.

The court extended the judicial custody of Khalid for 14 days in a case related to rioting in Khajuri Khas area. Khalid was arrested on October 1.

Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 leaving 53 people dead and around 200 injured.