Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 1 (IANS): Using a sharpened spoon as a weapon, two inmates of the Moradabad jail tried to slit the throat of an undertrial in the jail.

The victim, Santosh Kumar, was critically injured and has been admitted to the district hospital. Santosh Kumar is an undertrial in a loot and murder case.

As per the reports, the two accused inmates cornered Santosh Kumar and then attacked him.

Jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said the barrack is overcrowded and there was a quarrel among the inmates in which Kumar was injured.

More than 3,000 inmates are currently lodged in the district jail against the capacity of 717, he said, adding that no FIR has been lodged and action would be taken only as per the jail manual.

Sharma said, "Santosh had minor injuries in his neck after an inmate attacked him with a spoon. The former had earlier thrashed him and another inmate. They had suffered internal injuries then."

"This is the second time I was attacked in jail and they tried to kill me. I had complained to the jail authorities, but they didn't take it

Santosh Kumar, a resident of Badaun district, was earlier arrested in Chandausi area of Sambhal district with his gang members Bhoop Singh, Neeraj, Jitendra and Mahendra for the alleged murder of a jeweller.

The jeweller was allegedly shot dead and valuables worth Rs 2 lakh were looted on July 3.

Kumar was sent to the district jail where he was kept in barrack four with Shahnawaj and Saleem a.k.a. Chotu - both notorious criminals.

The jail superintendent, however, dismissed Kumar's allegations and said, "There was no attempt to kill anyone. It was just a quarrel. We are taking action as per prison manual and it will be treated in the jail records as misconduct."