Md Haris, associate trade blows in cell at midnight

BENGALURU: Mohammed Nalapad Haris, undertrial prisoner no. 1756, was involved in a midnight scuffle with one of his fellow accused in the case. The scuffle took place within hours of

Md Haris

and his six associates reaching jail, where they were sent after a city court remanded them in judicial custody on Wednesday.

Prison sources said

Mohammed Ashraf

blamed Md

Haris

for their plight, and the two traded blows. Md Haris was shifted to a separate VIP cell, where former chief minister and BJP state president

BS Yedyurappa

had once been housed.

Senior prison officials refused to confirm the scuffle, but admitted that Md Haris was indeed lodged in a separate VIP cell.

The elder son of Shantinagar Congress MLA NA Haris was arrested, along with his friends, for brutally assaulting a youth at

Farzi Café

last Saturday.

After the seven accused landed in jail on Wednesday evening, they were subjected to medical tests in the prison hospital. “The accused were taken to the admission room and the formalities completed. They were shifted to an empty cell in the VIP barracks and served a dinner of chapati, rice and dal,” sources said.

By 1am, prison guards heard a commotion from the accused’s cell. “On hearing loud shouts, we rushed towards the cell and saw Ashraf attacking Md Haris. Others were trying to hold Ashraf back. We shifted Md Haris to another cell in the VIP barracks. Initially, he was alone and then requested us to bring his friends Arun Babu and Balakrishna to his cell,” sources said.

On Thursday morning, the seven accused were assigned undertrial prisoner numbers. “Prime accused Haris is UTP 1756, Arun Babu 1757, Manjunath 1758, Mohammed Ashraf 1759, Balakrishna 1760, Abhishek 1761 and

Mohammed Naseer

1752,” they said.

The accused had puliyogare and tea inside their cell for breakfast. “The MLA’s son is not used to ragi balls, the staple food in the prison. He is having chapati, dal, rice and butter milk,” sources said.