At least seven people were injured when 15 inmates of Viyyur Central Jail, mostly convicts serving life term for political murders, clashed with jail wardens here on Friday.
They had been shifted from Kannur prison to Viyyur Central Jail recently.
The injured-head warden Unnikrishnan, 41, Shefi, 28, Manoj and Ajeesh, 26-have been admitted to the Thrissur district hospital, with fractures.
The others, Andyeri Sura, Renif, Nirmalan and Reni, have been admitted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital. Jail superintendent T Baburaj denied reports of attempted jail break from the inmates, and said the incident was a fallout of a dispute between prisoner Renif and a warden.
He said a verbal duel took place when D-Block arden prevented Renif from going alone to the mosque for prayers at 1 pm.
He said the dispute spiralled out of control and Renif assaulted the warden.
Following this, other inmates joined the tussle and manhandled the warden and others who came to rescue him, he said.
“A report on the incident has been sent to the Jail DGP. We have not initiated any disciplinary action against them. Action will be taken only after receiving the reply of the Jail DGP,” the jail superintendent said.
However, jail sources said the commotion began when a group of prisoners demanded to go for Friday prayer en masse.
As the demand was not agreed, a commotion erupted and led to a lathicharge which snowballed into an open fight.