CHENNAI:
Prison guards have been suspended following the escape of more than 15 undertrial prisoners from the Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni district, triggering a massive manhunt across southern Tamil Nadu. Four of the escapees have been recaptured, while police searches are continuing for the remaining fugitives.
Tamil Nadu Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore ordered the suspension of the prison personnel following the incident, according to a report published by Daily Thanthi on October 27. The department is facing scrutiny over the security arrangements at the facility and the circumstances that enabled a large group of prisoners to escape at the same time.
The escape occurred on Monday night at the district prison at Thekkampatti, near Andipatti, where undertrial prisoners are lodged. According to preliminary information, several inmates allegedly joined together and attacked prison guards before fleeing. Other reports said some prisoners pretended to suffer seizures to lure the guards into their cell before attacking them. The exact sequence of events is under investigation.
Police teams led by senior officers launched an extensive search operation immediately after the escape. Theni district Superintendent of Police K S Praveen Gowtham inspected the jail, while South Zone Inspector General of Police Vijayendra Bidari supervised the investigation. Police intensified vehicle checks, established checkpoints in neighbouring districts and alerted authorities in Madurai, Dindigul and Kerala’s Idukki district. Drones and other search measures were deployed to locate those believed to be hiding in forest areas.
The four recaptured prisoners have been identified as Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Rajkumar and Raja Sikandar. According to reports, prison guard Thangapandi sustained a head injury during the attack and was admitted to hospital. Two other prison personnel also reportedly suffered minor injuries.
The incident comes days after the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department ordered a security audit covering all 125 prisons in the State following an earlier escape incident at Puzhal prison in Chennai. The audit is intended to assess CCTV surveillance, prison walls, watchtowers, locks and staff deployment, with inspection reports due in the first week of November. The latest escape is likely to intensify scrutiny of prison security, staff strength and emergency-response procedures.