Muslim prisoner branded with Om symbol, denied food by Indian jailers

A Muslim inmate, who is under trial, claimed that he was beaten and branded with an Om symbol by Tihar jail officials inside the jail premises, India Today reported. 

The case came to light after the prisoner’s family approached Karkardooma court with a complaint that their son’s life was “in danger in the jail”.

The man named Shabbir alias Nabbir was brought before the court’s magistrate where it was confirmed that the Om symbol had been engraved on his back.

India Today reported that Shabbir, 34, raised a complaint with the superintendent of jail on April 12 that the induction stove in their barracks was not working properly.

Enraged by the complaint, the jailer then started beating Shabbir, then he was assaulted again along with other jail officials behind the close doors.

The aggressive jail official, Rajesh Chauhan, then took a metal Om symbol, heated it, and branded the Om on Shabbir’s back.

After this brutal act, Shabbir was denied food for two days, and on April 14, Rajesh Chauhan told Shabbir that he had “converted to Hinduism as he had ‘fasted’ during Navratri”.

As per Indian media, the jail officials also berated him for his religion saying that “you Muslims have destroyed our country”.

In the courtroom, the judge asked him to narrate his story, and then she saw the branded symbol herself.