A near jailbreak was averted at the Meerut district jail on Wednesday, when hundreds of inmates attacked the jail guards, indulged in heavy stone pelting, torched the barracks and reportedly also tried to break the main gate in a bid to escape.
It took about two hours of firing, both in the air and also on the inmates for hundreds of police and Provincial Arms Constabulary (PAC) personnel to bring the situation under control. Dozens of prisoners, jail guards and police personnel were injured. The Condition of some was said to be critical.
Third incident
This is the third incident of violence in the jails in UP during the past two months.
According to reports, the trouble sparked off after the guards allegedly assaulted an inmate in the morning.
The agitated prisoners torched the barracks by using the gas cylinders kept in the jail kitchen and also roughed up some guards who rushed to control them.
The inmates virtually captured the entire jail including its control room. Some also demolished the inner walls and made a dash for the watch towers in a bid to escape. Many prisoners were able to reach the main gate.
Forces from various police stations and the Provisional armed Armed Constabulary were called to control the situation.
But they found it difficult to enter the premises as the inmates indulged in heavy stone pelting. The police fired rounds in the air . Later on entering the jail, they fired at the prisoners when the violence continued, sources said.
District police chief K Satyanarayan said that the police used rubber bullets.
He said that the situation was under control. PAC and Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been deployed in the jail to maintain order, he added.
It’s common
Jail minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya sought to downplay the violence and said such incidents keep on happening in the jails.
“It is unfortunate but it has been blown out of proportion. Incidents of this kind keep on taking place in the jails”, the minister said.
The jails have witnessed large-scale violence in the past few months.
In March an inmate was killed and several others injured when the prisoners had clashed with the police in Basti district jail.
Prisoners had recently
attacked a jailor in Mau inflicting serious injuries.
An inmate was killed in the violent clashes.
