Three prisoners were shot dead in a clash at Ragauli district jail here on Friday, police said. One of them died in an exchange of fire with jail officials after he shot dead the other two prisoners, jailor S P Tripathi said.

The deceased inmates have been identified as Anshu Dixit, Merazuddin alias Meraj Ali and Mukeem Kala, officials said in Lucknow. "Dixit shot dead Ali and Kala, and held some of the other prisoners at gunpoint and threatened to kill them. He was later killed in the exchange of fire with police," IG, Chitrakoot Range, K Satyanarain said.