Inmate dies after ‘prison fight’ in Ctg

An inmate at Chattogram Central Jail died early yesterday following a fight inside a cell, authorities said.

Amit Muhuri, 32, was accused in 15 criminal cases, including several for murder. He was also a Jubo League activist, said Jailor Nasir Ahmed.

He added that Amit was hit in the head by a brick following an altercation with another inmate Ripon Nath.

Amit had been alone in the cell with Ripon when the fatal assault occurred, he said.

Hearing screams, prison guards rushed to the scene and found Amit nearly unconscious and bleeding from his wound to his head.

He was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital around 10:00pm on Wednesday. He died around three hours later, said Shilbrata Barua, assistant sub-inspector at the hospital police outpost.

The jail authorities filed a case with Kotwali Police Station accusing Ripon yesterday morning, said Mohammad Mohsin, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Jail sources said Ripon had been in jail since April in an arms case.

Additional Deputy Magistrate Mashudul Kabir, who had been asked to investigate the matter and submit his report by one work day, visited the cell yesterday.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mehedi Hasan told The Daily Star, “It is a mysterious incident. The Detective Branch of CMP will investigate it.”

Officials also said they would also look into how the brick ended up inside a prison cell.

Meanwhile, as the news of Amit’s death spread, at least 50 young men, who are thought to be his aides, rushed to the hospital and broke a gate and several windowpanes around 2:00am, said Jahirul Haque Bhuiyan, in-charge of the police outpost.

They later broke into the hospital’s neurosurgery ward and began to damage equipment before police chased them away.

Amit was arrested last year on charges of killing his friend Imranul Karim Imon in Nandankanan area of the port city. He was also accused in 2013 in a double-murder case.