Failed protocols and negligence: Inside the Theni jailbreak that shook Tamil Nadu

The planned jailbreak by 17 prisoners from the Theni district prison, located at Thekkampatti, has come as a huge embarrassment for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu. What is even more shocking is that the prisoners escaped amid a security audit ordered by the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services. 

Though all 17 prisoners have been apprehended by the Tamil Nadu police, glaring security lapses and larger questions regarding structural changes loom large.

In the aftermath of the jailbreak, the Tamil Nadu government transferred Director General of Police (DGP) Prisons, Sandeep Rai Rathore, to a less significant post. Nine prison guards have been placed under suspension.

The jailbreak occurred around 10 pm on October 26. Immediately afterwards, in the wee hours of October 27, a massive manhunt was launched involving police personnel from Theni and Dindigul. The operation continued throughout October 28, resulting in the apprehension of all 17 prisoners who had escaped from prison.

Speaking to TNM, Tamil Nadu Minister for Law and Prisons CTR Nirmal Kumar said that a departmental inquiry was underway to ascertain the lapses and fix responsibility. “Preliminary inquiries have revealed that the prison guards were lethargic and negligent in dealing with prisoners. A detailed inquiry has been ordered, and action will be taken accordingly,” he said.

Speaking to TNM on condition of anonymity, a former IPS officer said that Tamil Nadu had not witnessed a jailbreak of such magnitude in the past 30 years. Recalling the infamous episode in which nine suspected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escaped from a special detention camp inside Vellore Fort in August 1995, the officer said the current jailbreak exposed the lack of oversight by senior officials in the prison department.

What initial probe indicates

According to prison department officials, around 10 pm on October 26, one of the prisoners allegedly staged an epileptic seizure to lure warders into opening their cell. When two personnel, Stalin and Thangapandi, entered to help, the inmates attacked them. The prisoners reportedly used spoons, knives, and other objects to assault the warders. They then covered them with bedsheets, seized the keys and locked them inside the cell.

Other prison personnel were also overpowered. One guard, Madhan Mohan, reportedly had a gold chain weighing one-and-a-half sovereigns snatched from his neck. Thangapandi, who suffered serious head injuries, was taken to hospital, while two other personnel also sustained injuries.

With the guards overpowered and the keys in their possession, the 17 prisoners escaped through the main gate. There was no tunnel dug or a prison wall scaled.

The Theni district jail, which has been operational since January 2019, is authorised to hold only 200 inmates. On the day of the incident, however, 334 prisoners were confined in the prison. There were four blocks inside the facility, and the 17 prisoners who escaped were lodged in the third block. A prison official told TNM that around 30 prisoners were held in the cell where the incident took place.

The authorities are yet to reveal the full details of how and when the operation was planned and how the prisoners managed to execute it. A prison official told TNM that the prisoners were aware of the lapses in prison security and carried out their plan just hours before the shift change of prison staff. “The timing was just perfect,” he noted.

Speaking to TNM just before his transfer, the then DGP Prisons, Sandeep Rai Rathore, declined to comment on the modus operandi deployed by the prisoners to hatch and execute their escape plan. “The matter is currently under investigation and we cannot reveal all the details,” he said.

A senior officer told TNM that the inquiry had revealed that Lingaprasad, a prisoner with disabilities who was lodged in the third block, had mooted the idea of escaping from prison, and others had joined him.

“Our investigations revealed that some discussion regarding escaping from prison was mooted by Lingaprasad as his bail got cancelled. From around 6.30 pm onwards, they started planning their moves, and it was executed at around 10 pm,” he said.

Efforts to nab the escapees

After the jailbreak, the entire South Zone was put on high alert. Personnel from the Armed Reserve, Tamil Nadu Special Police, and STF teams, who are experts in conducting forest-combing operations, along with drones and their operators, were mobilised and rushed to Theni district.

Starting from Madurai, Dindigul, and Virudhunagar. to all 10 districts in southern Tamil Nadu, pickets were set up and patrols conducted in full strength.

An officer who was part of the operations to nab the prisoners said they were confident that the escapees could not have gone too far in the night. “Those escaped from the prisons could not have gone too far given the terrain. The surrounding of Thekkampatti Sub-Jail is dense and mountainous forest. The prisoners had no means of transportation and money, so we were quite sure that they could be tracked,” he said.

Another officer said an alert was sounded among various departments, including the transport department, to be on the lookout. Autorickshaw drivers were also alerted and asked to report any suspicious movement of individuals to the police. Barber shops too were alerted in case the prisoners tried to change their appearance.

“Since the accused did not have money on them, we anticipated that they may indulge in robbery or snatching, we had informed our teams to immediately report back even if a small case of waylaid is being reported,” the officer said.

Protocol flouted

Initial investigations by prison officials also revealed that the guards had been negligent in following standard operating procedures and protocols. However, the jailbreak has brought several other security lapses to light.

A prison official, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained to TNM how prisoners are segregated into different categories. This is standard practice in prisons to ensure that inmates of different age groups, rival gang members, people from opposing caste groups, and those involved in the same crime are not lodged together in the same cell. Adequate attention is also paid to ensure that first-time offenders do not mingle with hardened criminals or rowdy elements.

In the Theni jail, these standard practices were allegedly flouted by the prison wardens.

In another instance, four people arrested in connection with a murder case within the limits of the Vikramangalam police station in Madurai were lodged in the same cell.

There are also specific dos and don'ts for prison guards dealing with emergency situations. Preliminary inquiries revealed that the guards failed to follow protocol after the prisoners reported an emergency.

Sandeep Rai Rathore said that the prison guards had failed to handle the situation properly. “There are clear guidelines when it comes to addressing emergency situations, if the guard had locked the main gates of the block before entering the cell, the chance of escaping would have been limited. This mistake gave the prisoners an opportunity,” he said.

Longstanding problems unaddressed

Tamil Nadu government sources confirmed to TNM that a security audit of the prisons had not been conducted in the past two years. The prison department is also grappling with longstanding problems, including overcrowding and a shortage of manpower.

Tamil Nadu has nine central prisons, five special prisons for women, and 12 district jails and sub-jails. “Most of these prisons are overcrowded, making things very difficult for prison staff,” an officer said.

The lack of periodic inspections and the failure to upgrade technology have added to the pressure on prison staff.

According to the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 2024, the DGP of Prisons and Correctional Services is required to visit every central prison, special prison for women, open-air prison, and special sub-jail at least once in a calendar year.

“During each inspection, he shall examine whether the classification of prisoners has been done, he shall personally see every prisoner in confinement in the prison, he shall inspect the yards, wards, cells, work sheds, and other enclosures, he shall examine whether the prison staff is adequate and whether discipline amongst the staff has been properly maintained and he shall examine whether sufficient labour is available,” the prison rules handbook states.

P Pugalenthi, Director of the Prisoners Rights Forum, told TNM that visits to prisons by DGPs were infrequent and had minimal impact when it came to bringing about structural changes in the system.

“DGP’s have to evaluate the conduct of prisoners and give them marks. This has not happened at all in the past few years,” he alleged.

Pugalenthi further said that, apart from overcrowding, staff shortage played a major role in the difficulties faced by prison authorities in managing these institutions. In many cases, prison staff are deployed to supervise prison bazaars, petrol pumps, canteens, and stores.

“Though the police and prison department claim that they have put an end to the system of senior officers employing orderlies, it still continues. Many prison staff are deployed for personal and official works of these officers. There has to be a structural revamp and it has to happen immediately, keeping in mind the sensitive nature of prisons,” Pugalenthi said.