News Desk: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has taken strict action against prison officials following a major security breach at Theni district prison, where 17 inmates managed to escape earlier this week. The incident has prompted a statewide review of prison security, with several officials suspended and major administrative transfers ordered.
Deputy Jail Superintendent N Ramalingam has been dismissed from service over alleged failures in prison administration and security monitoring. He had been serving at Theni prison since August 2024. According to reports, a total of 17 prison personnel have also been placed under suspension, while departmental inquiries have been ordered against them.
Chief Minister Vijay has directed the authorities to strengthen security arrangements and ensure effective surveillance in all prisons across Tamil Nadu. The government has also decided to transfer the escaped prisoners to high-security correctional facilities after their recapture.
The jailbreak took place on Monday night when the inmates allegedly staged a fake medical emergency inside the prison. One of them pretended to suffer an epileptic seizure, prompting a prison guard to open the cell to provide assistance. The inmates then allegedly overpowered and assaulted the guard before taking the main gate keys and escaping from the facility.
After fleeing the prison, the inmates reportedly moved towards nearby forested areas. They later travelled on a motorcycle from the Aranjanaipudur area towards Uthamapalayam. During their escape, some of them allegedly borrowed a mobile phone from a stranger in Ammachipuram to contact their associates, who arranged money, clothes and vehicles to help them evade arrest.
A massive search operation was launched to track down the escapees. Seventeen specialised police teams, five special task force units and four Tamil Nadu special police battalions were deployed. Drones were also used to scan dense forest areas and identify possible hiding places.
All 17 escaped inmates have since been recaptured. Five were arrested and produced before a judicial magistrate on Tuesday, while eight others were brought before a court on Wednesday. The remaining prisoners were also produced before the court on Thursday. They have been remanded to judicial custody.
The Theni incident has raised serious questions about security arrangements inside Tamil Nadu's prisons. The situation has become more concerning because another jailbreak occurred at the high-security Puzhal prison near Chennai on October 20, when two convicts escaped. They were arrested after a two-day search operation involving seven police teams.
Following these incidents, the state government had already transferred Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services) Dr Sandeep Rai Rathore. State Minister R Nirmal Kumar also acknowledged procedural lapses and announced plans to improve prison security, including stronger CCTV surveillance.
The government is now under pressure to prevent further security failures across the state's correctional facilities.
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