Seventeen undertrial prisoners escaped from a sub-jail in Thekkampatti near Andipatti in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district late on Monday, October 26, after allegedly attacking prison staff. Police have recaptured four prisoners, while efforts to trace the remaining 13 are continuing. Three prison personnel were injured in the incident, and 17 special police teams have been formed to locate the escapees.
According to the preliminary police investigation, all 17 prisoners were lodged in the same cell at the sub-jail. Late on Monday night, prison staff were reportedly informed that one of the prisoners had suddenly fallen ill and was experiencing seizures. Staff members on duty approached the cell to assist him.
As soon as the security personnel opened the cell door, the prisoners allegedly attacked them and fled. The sudden assault reportedly left the staff with little time to respond. Police suspect that the reported medical emergency may have been part of a pre-planned escape attempt.
Vijayendra Bidari, Inspector General of Police for the Southern Zone, said the incident was under investigation. Police are examining how the prisoners planned the escape and identifying possible lapses in the jail’s security arrangements.
Three prison personnel sustained injuries during the incident. Among them, Grade-II police personnel Thangapandi suffered a head injury and was admitted to the government hospital at G. Vilakku. Two other prison staff members sustained minor injuries.
Security was tightened at the jail following the escape. Senior officials visited the premises to assess the situation, while police continued gathering information from the injured personnel to establish how the prisoners managed to leave the facility.
Investigators are also examining how 17 prisoners were able to escape together and whether any weaknesses in the security arrangements facilitated their flight. The immediate priorities are to apprehend the remaining escapees and determine the circumstances that enabled the incident.
Police have intensified the search operation in Theni and neighbouring areas. Authorities have also increased surveillance in nearby districts amid concerns that some of the escapees may attempt to travel to other districts or cross into neighbouring Kerala.
According to S. Jayakumar, Superintendent of Police in Dindigul district, checkposts have been established at 16 locations across the district. Vehicles passing through these routes are being checked.
Police in Madurai, Dindigul and Kerala’s Idukki district have also been informed about the incident. Photographs of the escaped prisoners have been circulated to the relevant police stations to assist with identification and apprehension.
The incident recalls a major prison escape in Tamil Nadu in 1995, when 43 suspects linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escaped from a special detention camp inside Vellore Fort by digging a tunnel.
