Zeenews Bureau
Ranchi: Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda was admitted to a hospital here on Monday after he was allegedly beaten up by jail officials in Birsa Munda central jail.
As per Koda, he was on a hunger strike since today morning to protest against the bad quality of food being served to inmates. Sometime later an argument broke out which ended with jail officials brutally assaulting him.
However, a news agency, quoting jail officials claimed that Koda was injured when the police used batons to disperse a gathering of prisoners.
As per the report, some people who had come to visit Koda were also injured.
"Restriction was put over the visitors' numbers but Koda wanted more visitors. When jail officials denied permission, Koda and his supporters went to the general ward of the jail to meet people," an official told the news agency on condition of anonymity.
There, Koda and his supporters started mingling with general prisoners.
"Police had to resort to baton-charge to disperse the prisoners and Koda was inured," he added.
Unconfirmed reports claimed that Koda has suffered fracture in one arm besides bruises all over the body. He is admitted to the Ranchi Institute of medical Sciences (RIMS).
Koda has been in jail since November 2009 in a Rs 4,000 crore money laundering scam. He and four former ministers are kept in a VIP cell of the jail.
More details are awaited.
First Published: Monday, October 31, 2011, 15:41