Theni jailbreak: 4 of 17 inmates who escaped captured; manhunt on for others

Seventeen undertrial prisoners escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Tamil Nadu's Theni district late Monday (October 26) after tricking prison guards into entering their cell by pretending that one of them was suffering an epileptic seizure.

Four of the escapees were recaptured by Tuesday (October 27) morning as police launched a search for the remaining inmates.

Prisoners overpower guards and flee

Police said the prisoners, who were lodged in the same cell, staged the medical emergency to draw the guards inside. Some inmates called out to the warden on duty, claiming that a prisoner had collapsed and needed immediate medical attention.

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When the guards unlocked the cell and entered to help, the inmates suddenly attacked them, overpowered the personnel and fled the jail.

Three prison personnel were injured in the assault. Tamil Nadu Law Minister Nirmal Kumar confirmed that the prisoners had feigned the seizure to lure the guards into the cell.

He said the inmates attacked the warden and two other personnel who had gone to check on the supposed emergency.

Manhunt launched

The escape triggered a manhunt across neighbouring districts. Police set up checkpoints at 16 locations in Dindigul and formed 17 special teams to trace the remaining prisoners.

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Vehicle checks have been intensified, while authorities in Dindigul, Madurai and Idukki have been alerted. Photographs of the escaped inmates have also been circulated among police personnel to help identify and arrest them.

Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar said police were checking vehicles and conducting searches to locate the fugitives.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Prisons Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore arrived at Madurai airport from Chennai to investigate the incident.

Three jail personnel injured in assault

Among the injured was Thangapandi, a Grade II police personnel attached to the Theni district jail. He suffered a head injury during the incident and was admitted to the Government Hospital at G Vilakku.

Two other jail personnel sustained minor injuries, according to the police report.

A case has been registered in connection with the jailbreak, and further investigation is underway. Police teams are continuing their search for the remaining escapees.

Stalin's 'Breaking Bad' dig at TVK govt

DMK president MK Stalin took a swipe at the Tamil Nadu government over the jailbreak, questioning the state's prison security arrangements. He also referred to the earlier escape of two prisoners from Puzhal prison, accusing the government of failing to prevent such incidents.

“Following Breaking Bad, Prison Break has also started in Tamil Nadu!” Stalin wrote in a post on X, alleging that the administration was failing to monitor both prisoners and accused persons out on bail.

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Stalin said the Theni jailbreak came before the state could recover from the Puzhal incident. He noted that the escape of 17 prisoners was reportedly the first such incident involving so many inmates at once since 1995.

Calling the government “good-for-nothing”, Stalin said it had failed to protect the public. He added that people had reached a point where they had to protect themselves, accusing the ruling administration of being unable to ensure their safety.

BJP slams TVK govt

BJP Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy has blamed the TVK government for what he called a “humiliating failure” in prison security. In a post on X, he questioned how the inmates managed to overpower guards after one of them faked a seizure.

“The Theni jailbreak is a humiliating failure of the TVK @TVKPartyHQ government,” Thirupathy said, alleging that the incident exposed serious lapses in security. He also noted that Grade II personnel Thangapandi suffered a head injury during the escape.

Thirupathy said the government had failed to respond adequately while several prisoners remained at large. He demanded that the escapees be caught and officers whose alleged negligence led to the breach be held accountable.

“The remaining fugitives must be recaptured immediately,” he said, adding that the state government must explain how the inmates managed to escape so easily. He also criticised what he described as routine announcements about search teams and combing operations, saying they were not enough while prisoners remained missing.