Coimbatore, Oct 31:
Days after 17 prisoners escaped from a sub-jail in Theni district, another prison security breach was reported in Tamil Nadu, with a prisoner escaping from the Coimbatore Central Prison complex, triggering a police search.
The escapee, identified as Raghavan, a native of Annur in Coimbatore district, was arrested in a robbery case and brought to the prison following a court order.
The prison has a two-tier security system. While he was being escorted from the first entrance gate to the second, prison personnel removed his handcuffs. Taking advantage of the situation, Raghavan suddenly broke away and fled from the premises.
Police have launched a search operation to trace and apprehend him. The incident has raised fresh concerns over security arrangements in prisons across Tamil Nadu, coming close on the heels of the Theni jailbreak in which all 17 escaped prisoners were subsequently recaptured.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the escape of an undertrial prisoner, Raghavan, from Coimbatore Central Prison, questioning how inmates were able to flee from prisons so easily.
In a post on X, Palaniswami said prisoner escapes had become a recurring episode under the present government, likening them to a television serial. He said the incident could be added to the list of alleged failures of the government, alongside law and order issues, drug trafficking, rising prices, power cuts and mounting debts.
Pointing out that similar incidents had been reported from prisons in Theni, Puzhal and Salem, he said the authorities had repeatedly promised to strengthen prison security and deploy armed personnel in watchtowers after every escape.
Palaniswami noted that Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had issued a statement just hours before the Coimbatore incident, directing prison officials to remain vigilant and warning of strict action against those found negligent. He questioned the effectiveness of such statements when another prisoner managed to escape soon afterwards.
Taking a swipe at the Chief Minister, the AIADMK leader quoted a dialogue from Vijay-starrer Pokkiri — “Only the mouth works; everything else remains as it is” — to mock what he described as the government’s functioning.
He also expressed concern over the possibility of escaped prisoners committing further offences and asked how the public could trust the government to ensure their safety when it was unable to secure its own prisons.
Palaniswami finally questioned when Chief Minister Vijay would put into practice the very advice he had issued to officials, and discharge his responsibilities with the alertness and commitment he expected from others.