Revenge attack at Arthur Road jail leaves 2 inmates injured

Prisoner planned attack on rival gang leader after his aide was assaulted in jail last month, say police; the injured have been admitted to JJ Hospital

Clashes between rival gangs in the Arthur Road jail refuse to stop and after one last month, another fight which the police say is connected with the incident on May 30 left two inmates injured on Thursday.

Gopal Shetty, who is in jail in connection with an extortion case, was attacked by Salim Faizal Khan, under the orders of inmate Papa Nayar as revenge for the attack on Nayar’s aide in May, police said.

On Thursday, both Khan and Shetty were standing near barrack number 7. Shetty was being taken to JJ Hospital for a check-up while Khan was being taken to a sessions court. Khan then attacked Shetty with a blade and in retaliation, Shetty assaulted Khan, police said.

Deputy commissioner of police Pravin Padwal (zone 3) confirmed the incident and said they were investigating the matter.

Shetty sustained injuries on his forehead and right elbow while Khan too sustained injuries, said police. They were both admitted to JJ hospital following the incident.

The animosity between Shetty and Nayar stretches back to before they were both arrested in separate cases and sent to jail where they formed their own gangs. Nayar was the intended target of the May attack but Vishal Amkar who is his bodyguard, intervened and ensured nothing happened to Nayar, police said.

“After getting to know about the attack on Amkar, Nayar plotted an attack on Shetty on Thursday. He took the help of Salim Faizal Khan,” a source said.

On May 30, Muddassar Ismail Ansari, 30, Sarvar Maksud Khan, 32 and Suleman Mehmood Patel assaulted Vishal Amkar, 31, and Murgan Mani Nadar, 52. The clash left all five injured and they were admitted at JJ Hospital.

The three of them attacked Amkar and Nadar with a kapri [a sharp weapon made from aluminium plate and tin sheet]. The fight was brought under control by the jail police within seven minutes.

“All these accused who were involved in the brawl last month were shifted to Taloja jail after the incident,” said an officer.

Amkar sustained injuries to his cheeks, chest and left thigh while Nadar sustained injuries from his lower lip to chest. Mudassar sustained a head injury and a self-inflicted injury on his wrist, according to police then.