Ricin terror plot accused attacked in Sabarmati jail; inmates punched him to ‘flaunt patriotism’, say police

Saiyed sustained facial injuries after being punched in the eyes and nose by Nilesh Sharma, an Amraiwadi resident who is lodged for a theft offence, and two others, who are still unidentified.

The prime accused in the alleged Ricin terror plot being probed by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, was injured in a clash inside Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail on Tuesday.

The incident happened less than 12 hours after he and two other suspects were moved to the high-security prison under judicial custody.

According to Prison Superintendent Gaurav Agrawal, the scuffle broke out around 7 am inside the high-security enclosure where the three terror-accused were housed.

Saiyed sustained facial injuries after being punched in the eyes and nose by Nilesh Sharma, an Amraiwadi resident who is lodged for a theft offence, and two others, who are still unidentified, TOI reported.

According to the report, Sharma attacked him in an attempt to "flaunt their patriotism". Other inmates quickly intervened, stopping the assault and rescuing Saiyed.

Saiyed, also known as Jilani, received minor injuries and was taken to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for a medical check-up. He was later brought back to the jail.

Officials confirmed that he is stable and not in any danger. The prison authorities have informed the local police about the incident, and an FIR has been registered.

"How did the three men pick Syed out of all the prisoners here? Were they guided or did someone from the jail inform them about Syed's alleged offence? We are looking into these issues," said a senior police officer, pointing to possible collusion or lapses in prisoner management.

Saiyed, an MBBS doctor originally from Hyderabad, was arrested on November 8 along with two others, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem. The Gujarat ATS has accused him of planning to extract Ricin, a highly toxic chemical agent, from castor beans to carry out what investigators described as a major terror attack in India.

According to the ATS, Saiyed had begun gathering raw materials such as castor oil and had started the initial stages of chemical processing. During a search at his Hyderabad home, officials recovered an unidentified chemical and related materials. These items have been sent for forensic examination. Searches at the homes of the other two accused in Uttar Pradesh allegedly did not yield any incriminating evidence.

Investigators also clarified that they have not found any link between Saiyed and the doctors arrested in connection with the recent car blast in Delhi.

Earlier, the ATS had said it recovered two Glock pistols, a Beretta handgun, 30 live cartridges and four litres of castor oil from Saiyed. The agency believes that he was being guided by an Afghanistan-based handler named Abu Khadija, who is linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Saiyed was also allegedly in contact with individuals in Pakistan.

The other two accused are suspected to have procured weapons from Hanumangadh in Rajasthan and supplied them to him.

All three men were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, and the Arms Act. After the completion of their police custody, they were shifted to Sabarmati Central Jail, where the clash occurred.