Kot Lakhpat Jail inmate dies after clash over food

LAHORE:

A prisoner died and another was critically injured following a clash between two groups of inmates at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail, prompting the Punjab Home Department to order a high-level inquiry into the incident. The clash occurred after lock-up on Wednesday evening and reportedly began over food arrangements and the fixing of a water pipe.

Five prisoners were involved in the confrontation, according to jail officials.

Police subsequently registered a case against three inmates on charges including murder and attempted murder. According to the first information report (FIR), lodged at Kot Lakhpat Police Station on the complaint of jail Deputy Superintendent Kamran Maqbool, the two groups comprised Muhammad Ashraf and Falak Sher on one side and Muhammad Usman alias Shani, Javed Iqbal and Asif Mahmood on the other.

The FIR states that the confrontation took place around 7:30pm inside the prisoners' rooms.

A dispute over food and the fixing of a water pipe allegedly escalated into violence.

According to the FIR, Usman and his associates allegedly attacked Ashraf and Falak Sher with a sharp-edged improvised weapon made from a steel mug. Both prisoners sustained serious injuries and were initially taken to the jail hospital before being shifted to Lahore General Hospital.