Theni (Tamil Nadu), Oct 27 In a daring jailbreak, 17 inmates of a sub-jail here gave the slip after faking a medical emergency and overpowering the prison officials, before four of the escapees’ luck ran out as the police nabbed them.
The incident drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, which questioned the administrative capability of the months-old C Joseph Vijay government, with DMK president and former CM M K Stalin claiming such an incident had happened in Tamil Nadu after 30 years.
The 17 undertrial prisoners overpowered guards and escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in this district late Monday night, triggering a massive interstate manhunt and immediate suspension of nine prison officials for gross negligence.
The undertrials, all bunched in a common cell, staged a fake medical emergency and immediately after the prison staff on duty unlocked and entered the cell to help, the inmates launched a sudden, violent assault, overpowered the security staff, leaving three officers injured and fled the premises.
However, four of them were recaptured shortly, police said on Tuesday.
Following preliminary investigation into the major security lapse, Director General of Prisons Sandeep Rai Rathore ordered the suspension of nine prison guards and officials who were on duty during the time of the escape.
The suspensions came as part of an immediate crackdown on negligence after it was revealed that the 17 inmates managed to pull off the escape using a basic fake seizure ruse to overpower the guards.
Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar confirmed that strict action will follow once the comprehensive high-level enquiry, currently being overseen by top police brass at the facility, is completed.
Madurai Prison DIG Murugesan is conducting an on-site inspection of the sub-jail to determine how the prisoners breached three security gates and the main entrance too.
The four prisoners who have been captured are currently being questioned at the Kaanavazhakku police station while a comprehensive search is on for the remaining 13 escapees, who were previously detained for various offenses including murder, theft, and drug trafficking.
In response to the breach, security has been tightened across all prisons in Tamil Nadu, with increased patrols and intensified CCTV surveillance, an official said and added that a thorough investigation is underway to identify if the escapees received outside assistance or used local vehicles to flee the area.
Explaining the sensational jailbreak, an official said the inmates had pulled off a coordinated escape by faking an epileptic seizure. A few prisoners in the shared cell called out to the warden on duty, claiming one of them was severely unwell and needed immediate assistance. When the personnel unlocked and entered the cell to help, the inmates launched a sudden, violent assault, overpowering the security staff and leaving three officers injured. They later fled the premises.
A massive multi-district and interstate manhunt has been launched across this southern state, and neighbouring Keralam police have also been alerted. Active combing operations are underway across the border in the forest patches of the Western Ghats and the Idukki district.
On Tuesday morning, police said they have re-arrested four of the escapees who have been identified as Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Raja Sikandar, and Rajkumar, while the 13 fugitives remain at large.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari has formed 17 special teams to track the escapees and also intensified vehicle checks in the neighbouring Dindigul district too, as many of the undertrials belong to Madurai and surrounding areas.
Local police have been put on high alert. A high-level investigation is underway to probe the severe security lapse at the sub-jail facility, a source said.
The incident triggered a sharp political row, with the opposition parties targeting the ruling TVK, calling the jailbreak a humiliating security failure and criticising CM Vijay over the state’s law and order situation.
DMK chief Stalin referred to the recent incident of two inmates of the Puzhal prison in Chennai escaping.
“I thought that only criminals who are out on bail are not being monitored. This regime is intent on allowing prisoners inside the prison to escape,” he slammed.
“Before we can recover from the shock of two prisoners escaping from Puzhal prison, 17 prisoners have escaped from Theni district jail. They say this is the first time since 1995 that so many prisoners have escaped at once. It is unacceptable that this is happening in 2026, when security arrangements and surveillance facilities have improved.”
“The criminals outside are committing crimes freely. The prisoners inside are also boldly escaping. Overall, this TVK government is a good-for-nothing government that is not helpful to anyone. They are not going to protect the people. Tamil Nadu has reached a point where the people themselves have to protect them,” the former CM said on X.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that when the prison itself is not safe, with the prisoners attacking guards to escape, how can the common man be safe on the roads under this regime.
BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said, “The Theni jailbreak is a humiliating failure of the TVK government and a direct indictment of CM Vijay’s administration.”
This was not a high-risk breakout. It was a crude fraud that succeeded because prison security under the TVK government is in a state of collapse, he said on ‘X’.
“Packing so many remand prisoners together, failing to verify a medical claim before opening a cell, and allowing an entire group to overpower staff and exit is nothing but the incompetence, mismanagement and maladministration of the TVK government,” he said.
(PTI News)
