Theni jailbreak: Inmate’s mother alleges police violence on rearrest, moves Madras HC

The mother of two male inmates who escaped from Theni jail has moved the Madras High Court seeking immediate medical treatment for her sons and two other remand prisoners who were allegedly assaulted by prison officials when they were rearrested. She has also sought an independent judicial inquiry into the matter.

In a writ petition filed on November 2, K Arumugathammal, the mother of Meenakshi Sundaram (26) and Thirupathi (22), alleged that the four prisoners sustained multiple injuries after being assaulted by prison warders while in custody. She has sought a direction to the Tamil Nadu government and prison authorities to refer the injured prisoners to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem for complete medical examination and necessary treatment including specialist care.

The petition also names Solai Mugileswaran (19) and Sabarinathan (24) as the other injured prisoners currently lodged at the Salem Central Prison.

According to the affidavit, Arumugathammal's sons were taken from their residence by the Chinthamani Police Station in Madurai on October 9, ahead of the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations, citing possible law and order concerns. She alleged that they were subsequently implicated in two criminal cases involving an alleged robbery of Rs 500 and possession of 300 grams of ganja.

The petition states that Meenakshi Sundaram had earlier been arrested in a ganja-related case and was released on bail in February 2026 after spending nearly four years in prison. He then got married and his wife is now pregnant.

Arumugathammal alleged that while her sons were lodged at the Theni District Prison, Meenakshi Sundaram complained about the poor quality of food served to inmates including the presence of worms. He also allegedly raised concerns about prison warders taking away articles brought by relatives during interviews and forcibly collecting money from visitors.

According to the affidavit, a prison warder named Thangapandi allegedly assaulted Meenakshi Sundaram after he raised these complaints and confined him, creating apprehensions about his safety inside the prison.

The petition further states that her sons and other remand prisoners subsequently escaped from Theni prison. Arumugathammal said she was not seeking to justify their jailbreak but maintained that the circumstances leading to the incident, including the alleged ill-treatment inside the prison, required an impartial investigation.

Her sons surrendered before the police through their advocate at around noon on October 28. However, the petitioner alleged that they were subjected to severe physical assault by prison personnel on October 29 after being remanded to judicial custody and taken back to prison.

According to the affidavit, prison warders who arrived from Madurai, identified as Lakshmanan, Karthik and Arun, along with other personnel, allegedly assaulted all 17 remand prisoners who had escaped from the facility. The prisoners were allegedly beaten with lathis and kicked with boots.

Meenakshi Sundaram reportedly sustained multiple injuries, including an injury to his toe that resulted in the loss of his toenail. The petition also alleges that portions of his skin were torn and that he suffered swelling and injuries to underlying tissues. His younger brother Thirupathi, along with Solai Mugileswaran and Sabarinathan, also allegedly sustained multiple injuries, particularly to their feet.

The petitioner alleged that despite their injuries, the prisoners were not provided adequate medical treatment. On October 30, her sons and the two other prisoners were transferred from Theni District Prison to Salem Central Prison without receiving the necessary treatment.

Arumugathammal further stated that her advocate, Sathish, met the prisoners at Salem Central Prison and personally observed their injuries. He subsequently informed her about their physical condition and the need for immediate medical attention.

Pointing out the constitutional rights of prisoners, the petitioner contended that the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to live with human dignity and receive proper medical treatment, even while in judicial custody. She argued that an prison escape could not justify physical violence against prisoners or denial of medical care.

The petition also expressed concern that the transfer of the injured prisoners without proper medical examination could result in the loss of crucial evidence documenting their injuries. It sought the preservation of CCTV footage, prison admission and transfer registers, medical examination reports, treatment records and other documents connected with the alleged assault on October 29.

Seeking an independent inquiry, Arumugathammal argued that an investigation conducted solely by the prison department would not inspire confidence, given that prison personnel themselves had been accused of assaulting the inmates. She urged the High Court to order an independent judicial inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault and identify those responsible.

The petition follows the escape of 17 remand prisoners from the Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni district on the night of October 26. The prisoners allegedly staged a medical emergency by claiming that an inmate was suffering an epileptic seizure, prompting prison personnel to enter their cell. They allegedly assaulted the staff and escaped with the prison keys.

All 17 prisoners were subsequently apprehended following a massive search operation. The incident also brought attention to alleged security lapses, overcrowding and manpower shortages in Tamil Nadu's prison system. Theni jail, which had an authorised capacity of 200 inmates, housed 334 prisoners at the time of the escape.

Meenakshi Sundaram had claimed in a video recorded before his surrender that the prisoners collectively decided to leave the facility to draw attention to alleged torture and poor living conditions. He also claimed that 21 inmates had escaped, although the police maintained that the number was 17.

In the video, Sundaram said, “We did not come here to cause any trouble. We made a collective decision to come out and surrender.” He also denied that his brother Thirupathi had played a special role in planning the escape and called for the prison CCTV footage to be examined.

However, Southern Zone Inspector General of Police Vijendra Bidari dismissed Sundaram's allegations as fabricated. He reportedly said that Sundaram had not raised any complaints about prison conditions when Principal District Judge A. Saravanakumar visited the facility on October 26. The IG also reiterated that only 17 prisoners had escaped.

Madurai City Police Commissioner S Rajendran had also rejected the allegation that the brothers were falsely implicated in criminal cases, stating that both had criminal antecedents.

In her writ petition, Arumugathammal stated that she had submitted a representation to the authorities by email on October 31, seeking urgent medical treatment and an inquiry into the alleged assault. However, she alleged that no action had been taken on her representation.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has constituted a high-level committee headed by retired IPS officer JK Tripathy to review prison security across the state and recommend measures to prevent further lapses. The committee has been tasked with conducting a detailed enquiry into the security lapses that led to the recent prisoner escape in Tamil Nadu, assess the existing security architecture, standard operating procedures, technological gaps and manpower deployment in prisons.