A group of 20 undertrials assaulted a couple of inmates and a few prison and police personnel in the Mangaluru District Prison on Sunday. This forced the authorities to shift 20 inmates to three different prisons in the State.
According to the police, Sameer, who has been in the prison since his arrest by the Panambur Police in July last year in connection with a robbery case, and 19 prisoners first attacked Ansar, an accused arrested last month by the Moodbidri Police. Then, they assaulted Jainuddin, who was among those recently arrested by Moodbidri Police in connection with a series of dacoities in the city.
The assualt came soon after the barracks were opened at 7 a.m. Two of the four prison staff were injured when they went in to send Sameer and other inmates to their barracks.
When Superintendent of Prison Chandan Patil accompanied a team of prison staff and police personnel an hour later to bring Sameer in for questioning, he assaulted Patil and a few other prison and police personnel.
Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar, who visited the prison, said that Ansar and Jainuddin suffered injuries on their shoulders, back and legs. The two injured prison inmates and the injured prison staff and police personnel were treated at the Government Wenlock Hospital.
Mr. Kumar said that Sameer had assaulted prison and police personnel earlier too. On Sunday, Sameer prompted a fellow prison inmates to attack prison and police personnel. On a compliant by prison officials, the Barke Police registered a case of assault and rioting against Sameer. Another case was registered against him for assaulting prison and police personnel and preventing them from discharging their duty, he added.
It has been over a year that the District Prison had not witnessed any fights among inmates. After Sunday’s incident, the police carried out a search in the barracks and recovered several sharp weapons from some inmates. “About 20 inmates were shifted to prisons in Belagavi, Shivamogga and Dharward,” Mr. Kumar said. The police will take into custody the accused for further investigation in the incident, he added.
