Fearing that gangsters lodged in various jails would try to flex their muscles during the forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, a special team supervised by DIG (prisons) Agra range, M L Prakash, reached Meerut’s Charan Singh District Jail for a surprise check this morning. However, matters took a nasty turn when the visitors were attacked by the jail inmates, leaving eight cops severely injured. The casualties included senior jail superintendent, Agra, Ambareesh Gaur, and jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma.

“It could not have happened without the connivance of jail officials and I am submitting a report to the State Home Ministry,” Prakash told The Indian Express. “We searched three barracks and found mobile phones, lighters, sharp instruments and CDs from the inmates. We had special instructions from the home department as Meerut Jail is known for its lawlessness. But we were shocked when a thousand-strong mob attacked us with sticks and stones. We were trapped and could only escape after we charged towards the gate,” an enraged Prakash, who was posted at the Meerut Jail for four years, said. The prisoners also snatched back all the mobile phones and other contraband recovered during the check.

Agra jail officials said the special team reached Meerut at around 6.30 am today. The team begun the search from barrack number 15. Then proceeding to barrack number 10 and 11. “By 8.30 am we were moving towards barracks 13/14. We were passing through a gallery that led to the barracks when suddenly a mob of inmates attacked us. The mobiles point to the fact that local jail officials were involved. To avoid action, it was they who allowed the inmates to come out of their barracks,” said an Agra policeman who was injured in the incident. The raiding party claimed they were trapped for over 20 minutes.

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