Chennai’s Puzhal Central Prison authorities have foiled an alleged attempt to instigate a riot inside the high-security wing, following intelligence inputs received by prison staff. The move was attributed to terror convicts including Police Bakkarudeen and Bilal Malik, along with inmates convicted in international drug trafficking cases.
The terror suspects were arrested in connection with a series of murders of BJP functionaries and Hindu religious leaders in Tamil Nadu in 2013. They are lodged in the high-security section of the prison, where several convicts in international narcotics cases are also housed.
Officials said allegations had earlier surfaced that some inmates were living in relative luxury and were found to be communicating with associates abroad through WhatsApp to plan conspiracies. After those incidents came to light, surveillance and monitoring in the high-security wing were strengthened.
The latest alert came amid an ongoing inquiry inside the prison after a recent incident in which a gang allegedly attempted to kill a rowdy known as Vellaikaali (Kaleeswaran) for a reported contract amount of Rs 1 crore. Prison staff said the suspected riot plan was aimed at diverting attention from the inquiry, and that the attempt was thwarted after searches and strict warnings to inmates.
Prison officials added that after receiving information about unrest in a Sri Lankan prison, security measures were reinforced across prisons in the state, and the planned disturbance at Puzhal was prevented.
