Clash in district prison: Nine undertrials shifted to to central jails in Dharwad, Bellary

Mangalore, May 10: Close on the heels of the free-for-all fist fight within the barracks of the district jail, nine under trials identified as 'trouble mongers' were shifted to central jails in Dharwad and Bellary by the department of prisons.

As per the direction of deputy inspector general of police (Prisons) VS Raju six of them were sent to Dharwad central jail and the rest to Bellary jail. The transfers are aimed at disciplining the undertrials.

District jail superintendent P S Ambekar said the decision to shift the undertrials was taken after Tuesday's violent fight inside the barracks.

He informed that three undertrials were undergoing treatment at Wenlock Hospital while two others had returned to the barracks after being discharged.

While Safwan Hussain, Shamshuddin, Sarfaraz, Ajmal, Abdul Majar and Mohideen Sadiq are lodged in the Dharwad jail, Umar Farooq, Jalaluddin and Mohammad Fayaz have been sent to Bellary, he said.

Shamshuddin, Ajmal, Abdul Majar and the three sent to Bellary were accused of fatally assaulting Dinesh Raj, manager of Kanchana Textiles at Hampankatta in the city on February 14.

Observing that it was the callousness on part of the head warder Jawaraiah which prompted the second round of assaults on Praveen Kulal and his associates, Ambekar said he will submit a report on the incident to the additional director general of police (prisons) KV Gagandeep soon.

"Jawaraiah claimed that the undertrials, who were housed separately, forcibly pushed him and made their way to attack Praveen and his associates," he said.

"Even a small incident in the district jail takes communal hues. The jail staff has taken steps to ensure that undertrials from different communities are housed in different barracks and are let out in different times for their daily routines," he said.

It was the assault on Abdul Majar by Praveen Kulal and his associates in the morning that provoked the fight. The associates of Majar later in the evening retaliated triggering a second round of clashes.

According to Ambekar there is a section of the undertrials, who revel in creating lawlessness in the jail. "Most of them are locals and may take advantage of the situation to create trouble. Transferring them to other prisons is the only way to contain such elements," he added.

The district jail, which was built in 1850 with a capacity to house 150 undertrials, at present has 240 undertrials, including 10 women.