Coimbatore: Two ISIS sympathisers, who were lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison, on Friday attempted jailbreak after attacking two jail warders, but with little success. The Race Course police have registered a case against the duo.
An official source identified the prisoners who attempted to flee the jail as M Asif Mustaheen, 32, of Manickampalayam in Erode district, and A Abdul Shameem, 34, of Kalkulam in Kanyakumari district.
"Asif was lodged in the 10th block of the prison. He approached the prison warders around 6.50am on Friday, seeking to meet the warder handling prisoner cash property (PCP) to purchase some products worth Rs250 from outside. The prison warders advised Asif to wait at the block and went to meet the warder in-charge of PCP. Asif suddenly walked out of the 10th block. When the prison warders asked him to return to the block, he argued with them and started running towards the main gate of the prison. When a prison warder tried to block Asif, he kicked the warder in his abdomen and pushed him to the ground," the source said.
Meanwhile, another ISIS sympathiser, Abdul Shameem, who was lodged in the 11th block of the prison, managed to come out and attempted to escape with Asif, the source said. "|Shameem also abused the prison warders and assaulted them. The duo also threatened the warders with dire consequences."
However, other prison warders rushed to the spot and overpowered the duo. Jailer P Manoranjitham later lodged a complaint with the Race Course police, who registered a case against the two ISIS sympathisers the same night.
It was in July 2022 that the National Investigation Agency took Asif into custody for supporting ISIS. Later, he was handed over to the Erode North police, who registered a case against him under sections 121, 122, 125 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 17, 18 A, 20, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison in July 2022. In October 2022, he was booked by the Race Course police for criminally intimidating two jail warders. In December 2023, another case was registered against him for criminally intimidating a jail warder.
The source said Asif had threatened to destroy the prison and the jailor once he walked out of the jail on bail, and drawn flags of ISIS on a piece of paper and kept the same in his pants pocket.
Shameem was arrested after he shot dead special sub-inspector of police Wilson, who was attached to the Kaliyakkavilai police station, on January 8, 2020. He was transferred to the Coimbatore Central Prison in 2023.