Two prisoners were killed and six other inmates injured in a gang war that broke out in the district jail here in Karnataka on Monday, police said.
"Two gangs clashed in the jail premises earlier in the day in which two prisoners -- Madoor Isubu, 36, and Ganesh Shetty, 43 -- died and six were injured," city police commissioner S. Murugan told IANS. Mangaluru is around 350 km from Bengaluru.
Though Shetty was convicted in Mumbai, he was shifted to the district jail as he hails from the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada, while Isubu was still an undertrial, as he appealed against his conviction.
Shetty was also suspected to be an aide of Mumbai gangster Chhota Shakeel.
"Gang rivalry has been going on for some time within the jail, which led to a clash after inmates had morning tea, before breakfast was served," Murugan said.
Isubu was arrested in 2010 by the Interpol in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and brought to India and lodged in the district jail since then for his involvement in many criminal cases, including murder and rioting.
Shetty, a sharpshooter, was also held in 2010 for the murder of a man named Mahendra Pratap in 1994 in Mumbai.
A murder case has been registered against unidentified prisoners.
"We have picked up some suspects after ascertaining from other inmates and jail staff present during the incident and will arrest after interrogating them," Murugan said after visiting the jail for spot inspection.
Following the incident, additional police force was deployed inside and outside the jail to maintain law and order.
"Though the murders took place inside the jail, the case falls within our jurisdiction as the prison is located in the city limits. We are also searching for weapons used in the crime," the top police official added.
