Mangalore jail brawls were communal: Officials

The two brawls in the Mangalore district jail in the last fortnight is being viewed seriously by the state home ministry and the deputy inspector general of police (prisons) C Vishwanathaih is in town to look into the matter.

Jail officials told DNA, “It is normal for the jails to have minor skirmishes now and then, but the brawls that happened in Mangalore jail had a communal colour.”

Both brawls happened when notorious criminals Madoor Yusuf and Chhota Shakeel henchman Rashid Malbari were lodged in the jail. They were brought here to face various trials in local courts. At least three jail officials were injured while trying to prevent these clashes.

Both undertrials are known for their links with the Islamic terrorists. Malbari was nabbed by the Mangalore police in 2008 for recruiting youngsters for Dawood Ibrahim gang. Since then he had been lodged in many jails, including Mysore and Hindalga in Belgaum.

The home ministry has asked the Mangalore jail officials to explain the circumstances that led to the brawls. A police official pointed out that in addition to the ‘guest appearance’ of Malbari and Yusuf, several Hindu fringe group activists, wanted in cases of rioting and communal clashes, were also lodged in Mangalore jail, which was in fact a dangerous combination.

The ministry has advised jail officials to shift some of the trouble makers out of Mangalore jail.