Fifteen persons — 10 inmates and five employees of Central Prison, Vellore — who tried to intervene in a clash between remand prisoners and convict prisoners, were injured on Friday morning.
Arivudainambi, Superintendent of the Central Prison, said that the clash took place at the tower block of the prison at 7 a.m. Remand prisoners Vijayaselvam of Cuddalore district, Sakkarai alias Sarangapani of Perambur and Santhavel of Chennai; convicts Bala alias Balamurugan of Chennai, and Goondas Act detenu Kakkathoppu Balaji of Chennai, who were injured in the clash, have been admitted to Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH).
Mr. Arivudainambi lodged a complaint with Bagayam police station. According to police sources, the clash was sequel to gang rivalry between two groups of rowdies belonging to Chennai who have been remanded or convicted in various cases. One group is headed by Kozhikkadai Govindan and the other by Prince Ravi.
Govindan had picked up a wordy quarrel with Ravi during teatime on Thursday evening. The prison warders took them to the prison superintendent who helped them arrive at a compromise.
On Friday morning, when the cells were unlocked to enable the inmates to have tea, Vijayaselvan, Sakkarai and Santhavel went to the tower block where the convicts are housed, and attacked the rival gang members with iron pipes and the reapers of a carrom board. The other group retaliated. Ten prisoners and five jail staff members who tried to pacify the clashing groups were injured.
R. Duraisamy, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Chennai and T.S. Anbu, Superintendent of Police, Vellore visited the prison and made enquiries.
