In a daring attack on the high security Yanam jail, an armed gang of 15 persons made an abortive attempt to kill a life convict by surreptitiously entering the jail premises on Thursday.
An alert police force and jail wardens prevented a possible jailbreak and the murder of an inmate whom the gang was targetting.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Pervez Ahamed, told The Hindu that the gang climbed the tall compound wall of the sub-jail using a rope early in the morning and jumped inside the jail premises. Soon, they spanned out in different directions in search of a jail inmate.
They overpowered and tied Sekar, the jail warder who spotted them.
However, another jail warder, who went in search of Sekar, raised an alarm through his whistle after spotting the outsiders. Following this, the cops on duty outside entered the jail premises and caught hold of some of the gang members. The policemen, who launched a swift operation, successfully nabbed most of the gang members, who jumped out of the jail.
The entire area was cordoned off in order to prevent them from escaping.
Mr. Ahamed said so far 13 persons, against whom various cases were pending, had been detained by the Yanam police.
They had been charged under section 147 (rioting), 449 (trespass), 342 (wrongful confinement), 332 (causing hurt on public servant), 506 (threatening), 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
Weapons seized
According to police, a few weapons were also seized from the gang.
Siva, Vijayakumar, Pakkiraja, Baskar and Prakash were among those arrested. Most of them were from Puducherry.
Asked about the motive of their entry into the jail, Mr. Ahamed SSP said that interrogation was still on with the arrested gang members. It could be to eliminate a gang leader, who was undergoing life imprisonment at Yanam jail, he said adding that the alertness of wardens and police had prevented a major incident or clash inside the jail.
All jails. including Central prison at Kalapet and Karaikal have been brought under close supervision following the Yanam incident.
Vigil stepped up
The Superintendents of Jails have been alerted to step up vigil along the peripheral areas of jails campuses.
Police sources said the arrested members belonged to the gange led by Karna of Mudaliarpet.
Their aim was to enter the jail and kill Manikandan, against whom seven murder cases and two attempts to murder cases were pending.
Both Manikandan and Karna, who were accused in the murder of notorious rowdy Jegan last year, became enemies recently.
