Sealed Borders, Railway Checks and Drone Footage After Theni Jailbreak
Police have arrested 13 of the 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni district jail in Tamil Nadu, officials said on Tuesday, as drones and large search teams combed the forested hills around the prison.
Prison DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, who visited the jail, said nine prison department officials have been suspended over the incident. Tamil Nadu Police took part in the operation, he said, with two teams working together.
Because the jail is surrounded by dense forest and mountainous terrain, police sealed all exit routes with armed checkposts and began systematic combing as soon as they were alerted. Neighbouring districts sealed their borders, and Kerala Police were asked to watch for the escapees. Photos and details of all 17 were released to the public.
Police also covered railway tracks and stations, and checks were carried out at airports. Surveillance was placed on the homes of the accused and their relatives and friends. Villages were alerted, and forest guards and revenue officials, along with taxi, auto and bus stands, were asked to help. In all, 17 special teams were formed, joined by five Special Task Force teams and four Tamil Nadu Special Police companies. Three specialised drones were deployed at daybreak, and officials said the footage helped cover large areas and locate the escapees.
The escape has become a political flashpoint. DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi said media reports suggested more than 50 prisoners have escaped from Tamil Nadu prisons since the TVK government took office, with 17 reportedly fleeing in a single day. She accused the police of defending the ruling party when the opposition raises policing lapses and said they should focus on their duties and not function like its IT wing.
BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy called the incident a failure of governance and questioned the prison reforms announced when Prisons Minister Nirmal Kumar took charge. He asked what kind of reform leads to inmates escaping, claimed more than 50 had escaped in six months under TVK rule, and called that very alarming. He also criticised the parole granted to six convicts in the Coimbatore bomb blast case.
The state government’s response to these charges was not included in the report.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
