12 prisoners booked for attack on Hyderabad jail officials

HYDERABAD - A dozen prisoners of Cherlapally Central Jail here were Tuesday booked for attacking prison officials a day earlier. After police baton charged the attackers, two political parties have alleged it was an “assault on Muslim prisoners”.

A case against the 12 prisoners was booked at Kushaiguda police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate following a complaint by jail officials. Six officials were injured in the attack by prisoners Monday evening.

Deputy superintendent of jail Hanumantha Rao and another official, Srinivasa Reddy, sustained serious injuries and were shifted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.

The clash between the prisoners and the jail staff sparked tension with leaders of Muslim political parties Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) gathering outside the jail to protest what they called the “assault on Muslim prisoners”.

The leaders, including two legislators of MIM, alleged that nine prisoners were injured in the attack by jail staff and the condition of three of was critical.

The leaders, including MBT corporator Amjadullah Khan Khalid, accompanied by parents and relatives of the prisoners, staged a protest and demanded action against the jail staff. They claimed that new jail superintendent K.L. Srinivasa Rao, who took charge Saturday, ordered the assault to establish his domination.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Tirumala Rao denied that any prisoner died in the clash. He said the situation in the jail has returned to normal.

The clash broke out when jail officials were checking the cells and frisking prisoners for mobile phones and drugs. The jail officials alleged that the undertrials having alleged links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) attacked them with stones and a cricket bat.

Following the clash, the jail staff beat a retreat but later entered the cell with policemen and resorted to a baton charge to bring the situation under control.