12 prisoners, 7 officers hurt during clashes at Tihar jail

NEW DELHI: Inmates in Delhi’s Tihar jail clashed with prison guards on Wednesday afternoon, injuring several of them during a search operation conducted by prison officers, officials aware of the incident said on Thursday.

At least 12 prisoners were injured and rushed to the jail’s dispensary, and four of them were referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) hospital for treatment.

Seven prison guards also suffered injuries during the incident, officials added.

In the past few weeks, Delhi’s Tihar jail has been on high alert after several cases of prisoners using cell phones to run extortion rackets and planning murders came to light.

Prison officers aware of the matter said that they received a tip-off about some prisoners hiding cellphones and improvised weapons inside ward 4, after which they decided to conduct an inspection.

“During a search of ward 4 in jail 8, inmates obstructed jail guards from performing their duties by abusing them and brawling with them. The jail staff tried to pacify and counsel them but some of them refused to listen. They started banging their heads on the walls and injured themselves using the sharp-edged objects. The jail officers managed to contain the situation and sent four inmates to the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital for further medical treatment.”

As part of the measures to stop prisoners from engaging in criminal activities or warring with other gangs, the prison department has recently transferred at least 30 identified gangsters lodged in the three prison complexes of Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli to other jails.

THE VIOLENCE BROKE OUT DURING A SEARCH OPERATION BY PRISON OFFICERS TO FIND HIDDEN WEAPONS, MOBILE PHONES