Tamil Nadu prisons face overhaul after multiple jailbreaks
Two undertrials remain at large following a mass escape from Theni jail that injured three guards.
Two prisoners remain at large after 17 undertrials escaped from Theni jail on Monday night, according to The Indian Express. The escape occurred after an inmate allegedly suffered an epileptic fit, prompting a guard to enter the cell where he was attacked. Three guards were injured during the incident, with one sustaining serious injuries.
The prison department has authorised personnel manning watchtowers to use self-loading rifles to prevent escapes or respond to attacks, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore said. Self-loading rifles were issued from the armoury on Tuesday, with armed duty extending from central prisons to district jails by Wednesday.
Search operations involving 17 teams have led to the recapture of 15 escapees. The search, supervised by Inspector General of Police, South Zone Vijayendra Bidari, has included the use of three high-definition drones in forest areas near the Kerala border. Preliminary inquiries suggest the two remaining fugitives escaped on a motorcycle, Rathore said.
Officials are also reviewing cell assignments, as five prisoners involved in a Madurai district crime were lodged in the same ward at Theni. Rathore stated that priority will be placed on keeping first-time offenders away from hardened criminals and ensuring gang members are not housed together.
Theni jail was housing 334 inmates against a capacity of 200 at the time of the breach. Nine prison personnel have been suspended following the incident, which The New Indian Express reported has exposed failures in staffing and supervision across the state's prison system.