Theni:
Police have recovered the spoon used by prisoners to attack prison guards during the escape of 17 inmates from the Thekkampatti district jail near Andipatti in Theni district.
Two more escapees were arrested on Wednesday, taking the total number of prisoners recaptured to 15. A search is under way to trace the remaining two inmates. Daily Thanthi +1
The jailbreak occurred on the night of October 26, when the inmates allegedly staged a medical emergency by pretending that one of them was suffering an epileptic seizure. When prison guards entered the cell to assist, the inmates allegedly attacked them, seized the keys and fled through the main entrance. The spoon recovered by police is believed to have been used in the assault on the guards. Daily Thanthi +1
Following the incident, police launched an intensive search operation involving special teams, drone surveillance and vehicle checks. South Zone Inspector General of Police Vijayendra Bidari inspected the prison and reviewed the circumstances surrounding the escape. Nine prison personnel were suspended over alleged lapses in security and duty procedures.
More than 100 police personnel, along with over 50 personnel from the Anti-Naxal Squad, have been deployed in the search operation. Police are combing hilly and forested areas around the prison and questioning the arrested inmates to establish how the escape was planned and identify the whereabouts of the two remaining fugitives. The incident has prompted a wider review of security arrangements at prisons across Tamil Nadu.