Theni jailbreak: Last 4 of escaped prisoners caught

The last four of the 17 remand prisoners who escaped from the District Jail at Thekkampatti in Tamil Nadu's Theni district were taken into custody on Wednesday, October 28, with the last two accused surrendering.

The latest two, identified as siblings Thirupathi and Meenatchi Sundaram, surrendered at the Kudalur police station while two other accused, Regin and Ponmuthuselvam, were arrested earlier in the day. The jailbreak took place late on Monday, October 26, when the prisoners allegedly attacked prison staff and fled the premises.

According to the Prison Department, the incident occurred around 10 pm when some inmates raised an alarm, claiming that a prisoner in the third block was experiencing an epileptic seizure.

When Grade II warden Stalin Prabhu, who was on duty in the block, entered to check on the prisoner, the inmates who were lodged in the same cell allegedly attacked him and attempted to escape. They then allegedly confronted guards, snatched the keys, and opened the main entrance to flee the prison. 

The jail, which has an authorised capacity of 200 inmates, housed 334 prisoners at the time of the incident, the Prison Department said. The escapees were from several districts, including Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, and Villupuram, and had been lodged in the jail in connection with various criminal cases.

Following the jailbreak, the Theni district police formed 17 special teams to trace the escapees. Nine prison staff members were suspended for dereliction of duty.

A case was registered at Kandamanur police station under Sections 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 296(b) (obscene acts in public), 118(1) (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 309(4) (robbery), 109 (attempt to murder) and 262 (attempting to escape from lawful custody) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Five of the escapees were caught in the early hours of Tuesday, October 27, while eight others were apprehended that evening. 

The Prison Department has now reportedly urged the implementation of high-tower CCTV surveillance with armed personnel deployed across 125 prisons. Prison staff have also been instructed to use firearms if any inmates attempt to escape.

The jailbreak triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties, who alleged failure of law and order in the state.