Tension prevailed in Puzhal Central Prison here on Friday night after three Al Umma cadre allegedly >attacked three prison officials and held two others hostage in the high-security block following an altercation over food brought by some visitors.
According to police sources, prison officials objected to visitors trying to give soft drinks and food items to Fakruddin alias ‘Police’ Fakruddin and his associates Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik. This led to a heated argument and the three accused persons attacked jail officials.
Warders Muthumani, Ravi Mohan and Selvin Devadass suffered grievous injuries and were rushed to the Stanley Government Hospital.
ADVERTISEMENT
The extremists then overpowered Assistant Jailor Kumar and Warder Mari and took them hostage in the high-security block.
“The Muslim fundamentalists were demanding the presence of a sitting MLA and an advocate,” a police official said.
After negotiations
ADVERTISEMENT
After hours of negotiations, prison officials managed to secure the release of the two officials.
Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) J.K. Tripathy visited the prison. He said some 15 inmates of the high-security block had locked up the two warders.
The condition of the injured warders was stable. A police complaint will be lodged, he said.
Fakruddin and the two others were arrested by the Special Investigation Division of the Tamil Nadu police in connection with the murders of five functionaries of Hindu organisations including the Hindu Munnani in Madurai, Vellore and Salem in the last three years.
At the time of their arrest in Puttur, Andhra Pradesh, they attacked an Inspector of Police who was hospitalised for several weeks.
They were initially lodged in the Vellore Central Prison and then later shifted to Chennai.