21 prisoners at Delhi’s Tihar jail injure themselves to stop searches

Jail officials said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at the same jail where gangster Tillu Tajpuria was stabbed to death

At least 21 prisoners in Tihar jail inflicted injuries on themselves to prevent jail officials from carrying searches in wards and barracks for contraband, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday, adding that at least four suffered serious cuts. Jail officials said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at central jail number 8 and 9 — the same jail where gangster Sunil Baliyan alias Tillu Tajpuria was brutally stabbed to death by four members of a rival gang on May 2.

The statement said the injured inmates were treated for their self-inflicted injuries at the jail dispensary, and four among them were referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital because they had sustained deep cuts. (PTI Photo)

The jail administration, in a statement on Thursday, said that an initial search in one ward of the jail led to the recovery of a mobile phone and an improvised weapon. Subsequently, the jail’s CCTV control room noticed “unusual movement” of inmates. They were questioned, and further searches were carried out, which led to recovery of one SIM card and an improvised mobile charger, the statement said.

“During the questioning, one of the inmates confessed to possessing another cellphone, which he was asked to hand over. The jail staff accompanied him from the control room to the barrack for recovery of the phone. However, after reaching there other inmates instigated him and asked him not to give the phone to the prison administration. They also began abusing the jail staff and over 20 of them inflicted injuries on themselves to browbeat the jail administration so as to desist them from recovering the phone,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

The statement said the injured inmates were treated for their self-inflicted injuries at the jail dispensary, and four among them were referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital because they had sustained deep cuts.

Separately, officials said, during the commotion on Wednesday, one inmate used an illegal mobile phone to call his family and claimed that he and other prisoners were being beaten up by the prison’s security personnel. The family, in turn, informed the police control room about the alleged assault on inmates, and circulated a video with the allegations on social media. A review of the CCTV recordings during the commotion led to recovery of the hidden mobile phone at around 10.30 pm, the officials said.