Taunta death: 10 cops suspended

AGRA: After the death of Rajesh Sharma alias Taunta, Agra IG Sunil Gupta ordered the suspension of 10 policemen, including an inspector, who failed to save the prisoner injured in gang-war inside the Mathura jail on Saturday.
Mathura jail superintendent Rajesh Kumar and jailer Akash Sharma were also suspended on Sunday. ADG Crime and DG Jail also inspected the spot.
Gupta said station officer Chatta and nine constables, who were in the convoy shifting Rajesh Sharma to SN Medical College in Agra, were suspended as they failed to save the jail inmate.
Saturday’s gang-war inside the jail left prisoner Akshay Solanki dead and two other inmates, Rajesh Sharma alias Taunta and Rajkumar, severely injured. Later, some assailants shot dead Taunta while he was on his way to Agra for treatment.
A senior cop informed that the incident seemed to be pre-planned, as the assailants once again stopped the police vehicles carrying the injured inmates from Mathura to Agra and killed him.
“After killing Maavi, Taunta and Rajkumar were apparently living under the threat of death. So, they surrendered in Hathras and Aligarh. Recently, Guddan and Lawrence, who were involved in the Maavi murder mystery, also surrendered in Mathura court. It has been reported that Rajesh Taunta wanted to get Guddan and Lawrence lodged in his cell. But his appeal was opposed by Maavi gang members Deepak and Riter, who were lodged in barrack no. 13. Deepak and Riter were friends with Akshay Solanki,” said the cop.
Jail authorities confirmed that the two gangs had also clashed once earlier, last week over the same issue but the jail authorities had overlooked the matter considering it to be a minor fight between inmates. But on Saturday, suddenly the sound of gunfire inside the jail was heard which created a stir inside the jail.
Agra DIG Lakshmi Singh said a pistol, a revolver and multiple packets of drugs were recovered in the inspection of Jail. She added that multiple loopholes in security were found in jail as the prisoners could move to each other’s barracks. “The doors remain open all the time. All inmates were free to do anything,” she noted.
Taunta, an undertrial in the much-hyped Brajesh Mavi murder case, was lodged in Mathura jail since October 8. Mavi, a prominent real estate dealer and a gangster was allegedly murdered by Taunta on September 10 over some land dispute. Solanki was also a member of Brajesh Mavi’s gang who was lodged in Mathura jail under the charges of attempt to murder since last week.