Group clash erupts at Nayagarh Sub-jail; Chief warden, 2 staff assaulted by inmates

A group clash broke out at Odisha's Nayagarh Sub-Jail, on Sunday where inmates assaulted three prison staff members, including the Chief Warden. Two groups of prisoners reportedly attacked each other as well as the jail personnel, leaving several inmates and staff members injured.

Following a complaint lodged by the Jail Superintendent, the police have registered a case against 35 inmates and begun an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the dispute stemmed from grievances regarding insufficient food distribution, alleged smuggling of intoxicating substances into the jail, and restrictions imposed on inmates’ use of mobile phones.

Incident Details

The incident reportedly began on Saturday evening when inmates created a commotion as the cells were getting locked. Jail authorities intervened to calm the situation. However, tensions escalated on Sunday when more than 50 inmates gathered in protest and attacked three staff members, Chief Warden Satyanarayan Lenka, Wardens Samarendra Raut and Himanshu Paikaray. The confrontation later developed into a clash between two groups of inmates inside the premises.

Administration Response

Nayagarh Sub-Jail Superintendent Babuli Barik said the situation had returned to normal. 

He said, “The situation has remained stable since yesterday. The issue arose as some inmates demanded that contraband items be allowed inside through the gate and sought an increase in the permitted phone call duration beyond four minutes. Following this, a clash broke out among the inmates. An FIR has been registered against 35 individuals, and two people were injured in the incident.”