Prisoners threaten to commit suicide in TN

Six prisoners climbed atop the roof of a block and a tree in Central Jail and threatened to commit suicide, if authorities did not stop search in the cells.

Coimbatore: High drama prevailed for some time in the Central Jail here when six prisoners, detained under Goondas Act, climbed atop the roof of a block and a tree and threatened to commit suicide, if authorities did not stop search and raid in the cells.

There are 60 prisoners detained under Goondas Act and of this, six refused to take food Monday and climbed atop the roof of a block. They shouted that they were being ill-treated by some wardens, who were recently transferred from Madurai, sources said. The prisoners, one of whom was bleeding on his arm, after inflicting blade injuries, said the regular searches were against the `right to their freedom and privacy` and the authorities should stop it forthwith, the sources said. Jail Superintendent Rajendran, who rushed to the spot convinced them saying that searches were conducted to flush out unwanted and banned things being smuggled in the jail, like mobile phones and knives and ganja, as was seized at regular intervals, after which the prisoners climbed down and went to their cells, the sources said. PTI