Ara jail inmates clash with police, 6 cops & 12 inmates injured

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : An absolute disorder prevails inside Ara jail after the inmates clashed with police personnel and also tried to break the gate of the jail on March 10, 2018. At least half a dozen police personnel and over a dozen inmates were injured in the clash. The injured police personnel were admitted to Ara Sadar Hospital but the injured prisoners are kept at the jail hospital.

SDO Arun Prakash and SDPO Sanjay Kumar rushed to the spot and stopped the inmates from breaking the gate of the jail. Heavy police force has been deployed on the spot. Tension prevails inside the jail following the incident.

SDO Arun Prakash and the SDPO Sanjay Kumar had conducted raids at Ara jail on March 9, 2018, evening after a video showing prisoners using mobiles and taking ganja and other prohibited drugs went viral on WhatsApp. It was said that the video clips was allegedly shot by an inmate of the jail who circulated it on WhatsApp after his release from the jail. The raid at the Ara jail had infuriated the prisoners.

On March 10 morning, a news spread inside the jail that a prisoner tried to commit suicide and the jail authorities were shifting him to the Ara Sadar Hospital that made the inmates more aggressive against the jail authorities and they clashed with police personnel and also tried to break the gate of the jail.

This is not the first case of clash between inmates and police inside Ara jail. Many hardcore criminals like Lambu Sharma are lodged in Ara jail. Two  rival groups led by Bablu Tatwa of Ara and Butan Chaudhary of Belaur had clashed inside the jail on May 8, 2017, but it was the first time that the prisoners tried to break the gate of the jail on March 10, 2018.

Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar confirmed the raid and said that the video that went viral appears to be at least one- and-a- half a year old and some inmates who were released on bail had allegedly posted it on the WhatsApp. He said that he has ordered the jail Superintendent Niranjan Pandit to inquire into the matter and submit his report within 24 hours.

The SP stated that police force has been deployed on the jail campus and the situation was  under control. He said that stern legal action would be taken against jail inmates seen in the video footage after verifying its authenticity. Police would also probe as to how ganja, drugs and mobiles reached the jail, the SP added.

Ara Jail Superintendent Niranjan Pandit said that he was trying to identify the prisoners having mobiles and taking ganja in the video footage and added even the negligence on the part of police personnel was being ascertained. He said that earlier three wardens were suspended while two were dismissed for dereliction of duty during his tenure. About 10 kg of contraband ganja, 20 mobiles and other objectionable articles were earlier seized from the jail.