Chennai, Oct 27:
Four of the more than 15 undertrial prisoners who escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Theni district have been recaptured, while a special police team has been strengthened to 25 personnel to trace the remaining fugitives.
Nine prison guards have been suspended following the incident, which has raised serious questions over security arrangements at the facility.
Tamil Nadu Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore ordered the suspension of prison personnel following the escape on Monday night.
Preliminary reports indicate that a group of inmates allegedly attacked guards before fleeing. Some accounts suggest that prisoners pretended to suffer seizures to draw the guards into their cell and then assaulted them. The exact sequence of events is under investigation.
The four recaptured inmates have been identified as Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Rajkumar and Raja Sikandar. Prison guard Thangapandi sustained a head injury during the incident and was admitted to hospital, while two other personnel reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Police have launched an extensive manhunt under the supervision of senior officers. Theni Superintendent of Police K S Praveen Gowtham inspected the jail, while South Zone Inspector General of Police Vijayendra Bidari is overseeing the investigation.
Vehicle checks and checkpoints have been intensified in neighbouring districts, and alerts have been issued to authorities in Madurai, Dindigul and Keralaās Idukki district. Drones and other search measures are also being used to trace inmates suspected to be hiding in forest areas.
The escape comes days after the Prisons Department ordered a security audit of all 125 prisons in Tamil Nadu following an earlier escape from Puzhal prison in Chennai. The audit covers CCTV surveillance, prison walls, watchtowers, locks and staff deployment, with inspection reports expected in the first week of November.
The latest incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of prison security and emergency-response procedures. Police are continuing the search for the remaining escapees, while the department is examining how such a large number of undertrial prisoners managed to flee from the facility.