Imphal, September 25: An investigation has been launched to ascertain circumstances leading to the clash between inmates and subsequent crackdown by security personnel in the Sajiwa Central jail yesterday.

Atleast nine inmates sustained injuries of varying degrees in the violent incident and have been admitted to JN Hospital for treatment.

Yesterday's incident is said to be the second of its kind in eight years and is being probed by director General of Prisons AK Parashar.

In the previous incident, inmates were locked in a tense showdown with security personnel deployed in the prison premises and had resulted in burning down of jail infrastructure.

Among the injured in last evening's clash include one of the 15 Myanmarese immigrants recently apprehended from Moreh town for unauthorised entry into the indian side of the international border.

The fracas reportedly broke out after inmates of an enclosure/block provoked an adjacent cell-mates by hurling obstacles as security guards resorted to baton-charge to quell the melee.

While the injured foreign national has been identified as Md Bashir Hussain (18) the others are said to be S Inaocha (40), Th Bung (32), P Momba (30), L james (27), S Suresh (27), Thongchuisang (29), Minthang (26) and Sanjoy.

with the exception of Bashir all the other injured inmates are informed to be undertrial prisoners belonging to different underground outfits.

The jail houses about 445 inmates including convicts.

The injured inmates were administered first aid at JN Hospital where they were rushed soon after the altercation came under security control and have been subsequently put again in their respective cells/sector under strict security vigil, informed additional Superintendent of Prisons (Sajiwa) Thokchom Subhachandra.

Comment