Ricin terror plot: Prime accused injured in ‘fight with other prisoners’ at Sabarmati jail

Saiyed, accused by the ATS of attempting to isolate the highly toxic chemical agent Ricin from castor beans (Ricinus communis) to carry out a “major terror attack” in India, was in jail for less than 12 hours before the three were allegedly involved in an altercation with three other local undertrial prisoners.

The Gujarat ATS, which booked Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed (35), a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana; Azad Suleman Sheikh, (20), a tailor from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh; and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, a 23-year-old student from UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri, on November 8, along with the wanted accused Abu Khadija of Afghanistan, under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act, were arrested the same day.

In the FIR,  Saiyed claimed that he was sitting in his barracks and Suhail and Azad were sleeping when three men passed by their cell, saw them and walked away. Around 10 minutes later, the three men returned and began assaulting him, the FIR alleged. He was wounded in one eye. He raised an alarm and the three men fled. Prison staff then took him to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Saiyed claims in the FIR.

Earlier, a local court granted the ATS remand of the three accused till November 17 and they were sent to judicial custody on Monday night. “They had a fight with three other undertrial prisoners, leading to Saiyed receiving some serious injuries,” said DCP Bharatkumar Rathod of Zone-2, Ahmedabad City Police.

An FIR was registered at the Ranip police station on the basis of a complaint by Saiyed. The three accused persons in this case include Anil Kumar, who is an undertrial in a murder case registered at Kagdapith police station; Shivam Sharma alias Nayee who is an undertrial prisoner also in a murder case registered at Amraiwadi police station; and Ankit Lodhi, who is an undertrial prisoner in a POCSO Act case.

They were booked under BNS section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 54 (abettor present).

The cause for the scuffle is yet to be ascertained and investigations are underway, officers said.

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