Hyderabad, November 18: Notorious gangster Ayub Khan and his associates reportedly thrashed some prison staff of the Cherlapally jail, for delay in supplying water on the eve of ID-UL-Zuha on Wednesday. Later, they also attacked another group of prisoners whom they accused of spitting on them from the first floor. The scuffle left six persons injured, two of them seriously. The Prisons department, however, dismissed it as a minor incident.
Ayub Khan, involved in a series of offences including murders and extortions is said to be a closely associated with an Old City based political party.
The trouble started around 8.30 a.m when two prisoners, Ajju and Zaheer, said to be close to Ayub Khan, picked up argument with prison staff over delay in water supply. They said they were getting late to offer prayers as it was Bakrid. Soon, they were joined by Ayub Khan and the argument turned into a fight, with them reportedly thrashing the prison staff.
Later, a quarrel began at Godavari block in the Cherlapally jail. The block houses prisoners which include Sinu, Ramu, Ajju, Zaheer and Ayub Khan. Prison department officials told Express that either Sinu or Ramu, who are in a cell on the first floor spit from the window and it accidentally fell on Ajju and Zaheer, standing on the ground floor. Immediately the duo picked up fight with Sinu and Ramu.
Soon, the fight took a communal colour and it became a free for all. When security personnel intervened, they too were attacked. Five prisoners and a jail staffer were injured during the scuffle. The condition of badly injured jail staffer Krishnamurthy is said to be serious.
He was shifted to Pranahita Hospital inside the jail along with others. Ramu too suffered severe injuries.
Realising the situation was going out of control, Cherlapally jail authorities pressed into service additional forces to control the situation. A tense situation prevailed till 11 a.m. Pison authorities however tried to downplay the matter saying it was a ‘petty issue’ and three prisoners suffered bruises. When contacted, Cherlapally jail superintendent G Jayawardhan said only three prisoners suffered minor injuries. He also gave a clean chit to Ayub Khan. “Following the incident, prisoners involved in the fight were lodged in separate cells,’’ Jayawardhan said. No formal complaint was lodged with police.
Sources said in the recent past there have been quite a few incidents wherein prisoners fought and attacked each other. Even the terror suspect, Syed Viqaruddin reportedly abuses the jail staff.
–Agencies–