Emile Jerome Mathew, accused of murdering Neeraj Grover last year and trying to assault an official at Arthur Road Jail this week, missed his court appearance on Monday, allegedly because it was he who had been beaten up by prison officials.

The sessions court directed the jail authorities to admit Jerome to St George Hospital for medical tests and sought a report on November 13.

The jail authorities have lodged a case accusing Jerome of getting into a fight with an official on November 7, special public prosecutor RV Kini confirmed. Jerome’s lawyer Abdul Vahab countered today that it was Jerome who had been beaten up by jail officials; Vahab linked this to Jerome’s complaint in court against alleged ill treatment in jail. Vahab said Jerome has submitted a complaint to the court naming jail superintendent Rajendra Dhamne and two other officials.

Vahab alleged that the prison authorities didn’t produce Jerome on Monday because they wanted to avoid embarrassing themselves. “Jerome is not in a condition to be produced in today,” he said.

As per the prosecution case, Jerome and Maria Susairaj quarreled with Grover, stabbed him to death, hacked his body into pieces and then disposed of the remains.