MUMBAI, July 20 -- Shamil Saquib Nachan and Irfan Landge, lodged in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, have alleged custodial assault inside the prison by a group of fellow inmates, allegedly facilitated by the jail authorities. The matter reached the National Human Rights Commission and the State Human Rights Commission, after lawyer Shamsher Ansari, representing the two inmates, moved a plea before the commissions on Saturday, seeking an independent inquiry into the incident. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Nachan in August 2023 for alleged connections to an ISIS module in Maharashtra, and alleged involvement in terrorist activities, including the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Landge was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in December 2012 in connection with the Jangli Maharaj Road blasts case in Pune. The alleged custodial assault took place on July 18, at around 3 pm, when the jail authorities opened the doors to the barracks of Nachan and Landge. Upon doing so, seven to ten inmates allegedly entered the cell and attacked the two inmates in what appeared to be a pre-planned manner. The letter alleged that the jail authorities were directly involved in facilitating the assault. Instead of treating Nachan and Landge as victims, the jail authorities isolated them in punishment barracks, submitted the lawyer, adding that his clients are facing a serious and continued threat of further custodial violence. The letter has requested the commissions to take suo moto cognisance of the incident and register proceedings against the jail authorities. Nachan, represented by advocate Tahira Qureshi and Landge, represented by advocate Wahab Khan in the trial court, have sought an independent inquiry into the incident. They requested the commissions to immediately register an FIR based on the complaint of Nachan and Landge and that their statements be recorded by an independent police authority. The plea sought their transfer to different barracks, suitable disciplinary and criminal action against errant jail officials, and grant of monetary compensation. Advocate Ansari has also written to the superintendent of the Taloja central jail, seeking the production of Nachan and Landge at the Kharghar police station so that an FIR could be registered. He also sought the CCTV footage to be preserved from the day of the alleged assault, and action against the jail authorities involved in the custodial violence. Meanwhile, a special NIA court has rejected the interim bail plea of Shamil Nachan, to perform religious rituals following the death of his father. Shamil had sought interim bail from July 3 to 23. While rejecting the plea, special sessions judge Chakor S Baviskar observed that the circumstances are neither compelling, nor the grief and suffering is intolerable, as such, as Shamil was granted liberty to attend the burial. "In short, to mourn the death of his father, this accused, Shamil, can offer prayer from anywhere. He need not personally and physically be present in the graveyard," observed the court, in an order passed on July 16....