New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS): A court here has sentenced a man to two years' rigorous imprisonment for attacking undertrials in a jail van in 2012, observing that such incidents raise a serious issue of security during transportation of prisoners from jails to courts and back.

"It is proved that the appellant was carrying a surgical blade while travelling in the jail van. Such incidents raise serious security issue qua the undertrial prisoners travelling in jail van; thus to my mind, the appellant deserves some substantial punishment," Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Jain said in his order released on Thursday.

The court also ordered convict Bharat Yadav to pay a fine of Rs.5,000.

Yadav had filed a petition challenging a lower court order that held him guilt of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and sentenced him to three-year jail and Rs.5,000 fine.

According to the prosecution, on March 5, 2012, complainant Israr along with other undertrials was being taken from Tihar Jail to Rohini court complex in the jail van.

On the way, Yadav picked up a quarrel with Israr and injured him with a surgical blade. When Israr's brother-in-law Mehtab and another undertrial Rinku intervened, Yadav attacked them too.

Yadav also allegedly inflicted a self-injury on his head. The prosecution said the surgical blade was seized from Yadav.