Mumbai: Undertrials at Arthur Road jail clash again

A fortnight after two groups of undertrials clashed in Arthur Road prison on May 30, a similar incident was reported yesterday.

Yesterday's scuffle took place between two inmates when they were near the gate at 10 am, as they were being escorted out of jail to be produced in court for their respective hearings. A police officer said Salim Faizal Khan attacked Gopal Shetty (35) with a kapari (a sharpened aluminium plate). Shetty injured his forehead and right elbow in the attack. Khan, too, sustained injuries. While Shetty is facing charges under MCOCA, Khan has an attempt to murder case against him.

Sources claimed the fight was part of a gang war and a continuation of last month's clash over establishing supremacy in the jail. Four inmates had been hospitalised with serious injuries as a result of the previous clash on May 30.
The jail has been functioning without a superintendent since the previous one was held guilty of shoddy administration and transferred to another jail.

DCP Ashok Dudhe, Mumbai Police PRO, admitted that a dispute was on between the two. He said both the injured have been shifted to JJ hospital and are out of danger.

Harshad Aherao, deputy superintendent of Arthur Road Jail, said, "Though there is no known enmity between the two, they recently had a heated argument and this could have resulted in the fight. We have lodged a complaint at the
NM Joshi Marg police station. If the police need their custody, they'll approach the court."