Releasing the report of the fact-finding team here, PUCL vice-president K Manoharan and other leaders said the firing was ordered when the prisoners had almost surrendered to the authorities.

Manoharan said it was unfortunate that jail official Jayakumar was burnt to death by the prisoners. This gruesome incident had prompted the police to open fire at a time when the situation had already been brought under control, he claimed.

The PUCL leaders claimed that the police had not sounded the warning siren or used the public address system to break up the rioting mob.

The PUCL leaders expressed dismay over the National Human Rights Commission's failure to order a suo motoinquiry into the incidents. The State Human Rights Commission was busy conducting workshops and had never bothered to visit the prison and hold an inquiry, they said.

Manoharan said the Goondas Act, under which most of the undertrial prisoners were booked and lodged in Central Jail, should be repealed.

He said that the Act went against against the lower rung of the society and those with political patronage had escaped from it. It was also used to circumvent the normal process of law, the leaders alleged.

Riot toll now 12
Chennai: Jail warder Nataraj who was hospitalised here with severe head injuries after prison riot on November 17 died of internal haemorrhage this morning.

With this the toll due to rioting of prisoners and subsequent police firing has gone up to 12. Nataraj is the second jail staff to die after Deputy Jailor Jayakumar was burnt alive by the prisoners inside the jail.