Seventeen inmates escaped from the jail at Thekkampatti in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district late on Monday, October 26, after allegedly staging a medical emergency and assaulting the staff who responded, police said. By Tuesday morning four of them had been caught, and a manhunt for the remaining 13 was under way across several districts.
How the escape unfolded
According to police, all 17 men were lodged together in a single cell. Jail personnel entered it after being told that one of the inmates had fallen ill. Investigators say some of the prisoners pretended to suffer seizures, and when staff came close to help, the group attacked them and fled the premises.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari described the episode at a media briefing as a planned “epilepsy drama”. A Grade II police personnel attached to the Theni district jail suffered a head injury and was taken to the Government Hospital at G Vilakku, while other jail staff were also hurt, police said.
Checkpoints and special teams
Seventeen special teams have been formed to track down the escapees. The first arrest came during combing operations in a forested stretch behind the jail, and Bidari later said four prisoners had been taken back into custody.
Vehicle checks have been stepped up on the Dindigul-Theni highway and at bus stands. Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar said checkpoints had been set up at 16 locations in his district as a precaution. Alerts have been sent to police in Madurai, Dindigul and Kerala’s Idukki district, which borders Theni, and photographs of the escaped men have been circulated among officers.
Police are also watching Villupuram district closely, as several of the fugitives are believed to come from there and could try to head home. Theni Superintendent of Police KS Praveen Gowtham inspected the jail after the breakout, and a case has been registered at the Kandamanur police station.
Questions over security
Senior police and prison officials are investigating possible security lapses and the exact sequence of events that allowed 17 inmates to overpower staff and get out of the facility. The fact that the group was held together in one cell, and that the attack came during a response to a reported medical emergency, is part of what investigators are piecing together.
Authorities have not yet said what offences the escaped men were being held for, or given an update on the condition of the injured staff. Police said combing operations would continue until all the escapees are found.
