Chennai, Nov. 17 :     Ten people were shot dead and a jail official burnt alive as a riot broke out in the Madras Central Prison today after the sudden death of a prisoner, Boxer Vadivelu. However, unconfirmed reports put the toll at 16. Though Vadivelu died in the government hospital in the early hours of the day, supposedly following an attack of dysentry, rumours started circulating inside the prison that he had been done to death by the prison authorities. Jail sources blame an aide of Vadivelu for instigating his fellow prisoners. With no one in authority coming forward to throw any light on the matter, it is still not clear whether Vadivelu was brought dead to the hospital or died after developing some complications while under treatment. What is generally believed to have happened is that immediately after they came to know of Vadivelu?s death, some prisoners confronted a prison official who was around demanding to know how Vadivelu could have died so suddenly when he had been only complaining of dysentry. As tempers frayed a couple of prisoners were roughed up. And then all hell broke loose. According to some reports, deputy warden Jayakumar was pushed into his room and locked up. Then the room was set on fire burning him alive. Hundreds of prisoners started throwing stones with some of them landing in the adjoining suburban railway station. Some prisoners even got on to the roof and attacked jail officials with whatever they could lay their hands on. However, initial reports of another jail official being stabbed to death could not be confirmed. According to an unofficial police version, they first used bamboo canes, tear gas and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control. It was only after all other means failed that they were ?constrained? to open fire on the prisioners. According to some, over 30 prisoners have died. State law minister Aladi Aruna who visited the jail after the incident did not commit himself on the toll or even comment on the incident. ?We shall present a report before the Assembly tomorrow,? he said. According to him, when the Assembly was in session it would be ?improper? on his part to disclose any details. As news of Vadivelu?s seath spread, a crowd of agitated residents of North Chennai from where Valivedu hailed, gathered in front of the prison. Police lathicharged the slogan-shouting, stone-throwing crowd. An eyewitness, however, described the police reaction as brutal. ?The Rapid Action Force personnel got on to the compound wall, even positioned themselves at vantage points in the suburban station and fired indiscriminately without any let-up,? the eyewitness said. According to him, the action must have lasted over two hours and ?the death toll of eight was a gross underestimate?. The riots could not have come at a worse time for the ruling DMK. The Assembly session has just started and its estranged ally, the Tamil Maanila Congress, the main opposition, is also threatening to kick up a dust over a whole rsange of issues. Besides being a notorious don of Kasimedu, Vadivelu, who had actually been detained under the Goondas Act, is identified with the ADMK. He was one of the accused in a murderous attack on the staff of an anti-ADMK tabloid during the Jayalalitha regime.