Uneasy calm prevailed inside Madurai Central Prison on Monday, when a some persons belonging to Pasupathi Pandian group, detained in remand prisoners’ cell, had a wordy altercation with another group of persons owing allegiance to Subash Pannaiyar.
Though prison officials maintained that there was no clash and played it down as a wordy altercation, reliable sources inside the prisons said there was indeed “heated arguments and physical exchange of blows between them”.
Recently, when 12 persons belonging to Subash Pannayar’s camp were returning from Dindigul after appearing in a court there in connection with the murder case of Pasupathi Pandian, an armed gang waylaid them and hurled country made bombs at them. The police arrested four persons in this connection.
On Monday, another four persons surrendered in a court in Tenkasi, while three others, included the key suspect Ramar, surrendered in a court in Madurai. All of them were remanded in judicial custody.
On Monday morning, when the inmates were let out of the cells, tension ensued. Sensing trouble, prison authorities rushed to the spot and ensured that nothing untoward happened.
According to sources, either of the groups might be shifted to another prison soon.