Bhairahawa, January 8:

Twenty-four Bhairahawa prison inmates, including five ‘leaders’, popularly called naikes, were injured in a clash that broke out among the prisoners today.

Eleven others were injured as the police intervened to take the situation under control, charging them with batons, in the midst of the inmates’ thrashing the naikes in block number 2 at 10:30 am.

The prison remained tensed throughout the day following the clash. Injured naikes Mane Gurung, Bimal Ale, Mangal Chauhan, Bishnu Chhetry and Kamal Pariyar returned to the prison after minor treatment at Bhim Hospital, prison administration said.

According to prisoner Shankar Pun, fellow prisoners Milan Thapa, Shushil Chapagain, Raphik Khan, Dangoriya Chaudhary, Ramesh Nau, Sharad Shukla, Ali Akhtar Musalman and Padam Chaudhary, among others, were injured when the police lathi-charged them. The inmates have barred everyone, including the police, from entering the prison.

Police said the irate prisoners also tried to torch the prison. Injured prisoner Mane Gurung said the five leaders, including him, would not have survived had the police not come to their rescue.

Another prisoner Shankar Pun blamed the jailer and naikes of exploiting them and said their agitation was against the irregularities. The prisoners shouted slogans seeking action against the police officer who had given orders to rain batons on them.

Rupandehi DSP Khuni Prasad Acharya, however, claimed that the accused officer had no involvement in the charge. It is the second time in a week that the prisoners have staged an agitation against exploitation.

The prisoners have sought the resignation of jailor Lekh Bahadur Rawal blaming him for the irregularities.

Bhairahawa prison houses 215 male prisoners.