Inmates of the Sultanpur Jail clashed with the police on Monday morning leaving two guards and one inmate dead.
The clash took place when Jailor R K Mishra was searching the jail premises on a tip off that some inmates were using mobile phones. On Saturday, many jails in the state underwent surprise checks during which mobiles and other prohibited items were confiscated.
During Saturday’s search some of the jail’s inmates had buried their phones to escape detection.
Misra was working on a tip off about these phones when the fight started. Inmates started arguing with the search party before bolting the jail’s gates and attacking the party with glass bottles. They also set  an LPG cylinder on fire, damaging furniture in the jailer office. Additional forces which were rushed in to control the situation had to break open a window to enter the premises. In Lucknow, Home Secretary, Javed Ahmed said that the matter was being looked into.
“Senior officials have arrived in Sultanpur and the matter is being investigated. On the face of it, it does appear that some mobile phones had been hidden by the prisoners”, he said. 
While initial reports suggested that half a dozen prisoners were seriously injured, by the evening at least 15 inmates had been admitted to the hospital.
Like most of the other jails in the state, the Sultanpur jail is overcrowded. Against a capacity of 450, it houses 1065 inmates.
Jail authorities have lodged an FIR against 27 inmates.