A 59-year-old convict in the 1993 Bombay serial blasts case was killed by five inmates in Kolhapur’s Kalamba Central Jail on Sunday morning.
Munna, also known as Mohammad Alikhan and Manojkumar Bhawarlal Gupta, was attacked with the concrete and metal cover of a drainage chamber near the prison’s bathing well at 7:55 am. Munna, who had been serving a life sentence, was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and had been at Kalamba Central Jail since 2013, following his transfer from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail.
Attack Details
The attackers, identified as Bablu (alias Sandip Shankar Chavan), Pratik (alias Pilya Suresh Patil), Ruturaj (alias Degya Vinayak Inamdar), Sourabh Vikas Sidh, and Dipak Netaji Khot, approached Munna as he arrived at the bathing well and assaulted him. Bablu, Pratik, and Ruturaj were arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), while Sourabh and Dipak are in judicial custody. Munna suffered severe injuries and bled profusely. A prison worker who attempted to intervene was also attacked.
Official Response
Swati Sathe, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), stated: “We are yet to determine the motive behind the attack, but inmate safety is our primary concern. There are four other convicts from the Bombay serial blast case in Kalamba. For their safety, we will separate them from the regular inmates and may transfer them to other prisons if necessary. We will also increase CCTV coverage in the prison.”
Legal Action
A case has been registered against the five attackers under IPC sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault on a public servant), 323 (causing hurt voluntarily), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (armed rioting), and 149 (common object to commit an offense) at the Juna Rajwada police station. Initial investigations suggest long-standing animosity between Munna and his attackers.
Sanjeevkumar Zade, Inspector of Juna Rajwada police station, stated: “We will seek the court’s permission to take the attackers into custody. The motive behind the murder will be clearer after further investigation.”
Jail Safety Concerns
Kalamba Central Jail has faced multiple controversies recently, including the recovery of banned substances such as ganja, mobile phones, and SIM cards. Over 200 cellphones were recently confiscated from the jail. Amitabh Gupta, Director-General (Prisons), had previously dismissed 11 staff members, including two officials, for neglecting prison safety.
Munna, known for his criminal activities, had assisted Tiger Memon, the prime accused in the serial blasts, in transporting a large cache of arms, ammunition, hand grenades, and RDX before the 1993 blasts. He completed his original 14-year sentence and was released in 2007, but the Supreme Court later extended his sentence to life imprisonment.
