Prisoner breaks fellow inmate’s hand in clash inside Sabarmati Central Jail

An inmate lodged at the old premises of the Sabarmati Central Jail allegedly assaulted a fellow prisoner following a verbal altercation inside a barrack on Wednesday evening, leaving the victim with a fractured hand that required surgery, police said.

According to Ranip police, the incident took place between 4 pm and 4.15 pm on May 6 inside Barrack No. 3/2 of the jail’s Bada Chakkar section.

The complainant, identified as 35-year-old Sanjay Rameshbhai Rathod, told police that he had been lodged in the barrack for the past five months serving a sentence involving hard labour. In his complaint, Rathod stated that around 100 inmates were housed in the barrack.

According to the complaint, Rathod was coming out of the barrack when another inmate, identified only as Sameer, allegedly began mocking and abusing him using derogatory language. Rathod objected to the remarks, following which the accused allegedly became aggressive.

Police said the accused allegedly slapped Rathod during the argument. When Rathod tried to resist, Sameer allegedly grabbed him by the hair, threw him to the ground and assaulted him further. The complaint further states that the accused kicked Rathod on his right hand, causing severe injuries.

Jail authorities and police personnel intervened soon after the altercation and shifted Rathod to the prison hospital. He was later referred to the Civil Hospital Ahmedabad for further treatment, where doctors reportedly diagnosed a fracture in his right hand. The victim underwent surgery and a metal plate was inserted during treatment.

Police have registered an offence under Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against the accused inmate.

Officials said further witnesses and evidence related to the incident would be examined as part of the ongoing probe.