States » SouthPosted at: Oct 27 2026 2:58PM


Daring jail break in TN : 3 wardens attacked, 17 inmates flee, four recaptured, 9 staff suspended, parties condemn

Chennai, Oct 27 (UNI) In a daring jail break, 17 inmates escaped from Theni District prison at Thekkampatti after attacking three wardens last night, leading to suspension of nine guards, even as Opposition parties, including the DMK, AIADMK and PMK cried hoarse, condemned it and blamed the ruling TVK for its administrative failure alleging yet another incident of deteriorating law and
order in the state.
However, in a swift action, four inmates were recaptured and arrested on Tuesday morning, while a manhunt has been launched to arrest the other inmates.
This is the first major incident in Tamil Nadu in three decades after a similar incident occurred in 1995. The fresh jail break incident comes close on the heels of escape of two inmates, one of them a Nepali,
by scaling the 20ft high compound wall of the high security Puzhal Central Prison near here a few days back. They were however, arrested within two days.
The incident comes two days after the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department ordered a security audit covering all 125 prisons in the State following the Puzhal prison escape incident. The audit is intended to assess CCTV surveillance, prison walls, watchtowers, locks and staff deployment, with inspection reports due in the first week of November. The latest escape is likely to intensify scrutiny of prison security, staff strength and emergency-response procedures.
Taking a serious view of the incident after the Opposition squarely blamed the administrative failure of the ruling TVK headed by Chief Miniser Vijay, who holds the Home portfolio, DGP Prisons Sandeep Rai Rathore suspended nine jail staff on duty. He was also the jail today afternoon and reviewed the situation.
Reports said all the 17 inmates were housed in the same cell. The incident took when the duty warden entered the cell after being informed that one of the inmate was suffering from seizures. The suddenly attacked the warden. Two others who came to his aid was also attacked. Later all the 17 accused escaped from the jail.
The injured jail wardens are Thangapandi, who sustained a head injury, and two others who suffered minor injuries. All of them were admitted to Government hospital for treatment.
The daring jail break took place at the prison, located near Andipatti, which houses remand prisoners awaiting trial.
Acting swiftly, the police department immediately alerted all the check posts in Theni district and information about the inmates was also shared with Idukki, Madurai and Dindigul District Police. Going a step further, the photographs of the escaped accused have been circulated in the police officers’ group and the police have swung into action to trace and apprehend the escaped inmates.
Acting on information, the Theni District Superintendent of Police K.S.Praveen Goutham formed special teams, which was subsequently increased from 17 to 25, and security was tightened in the prison premises. Multiple police teams launched a massive search operation, covering locations within a 10-km radius of the prison. Vehicle checks were intensified across the district, while surveillance was stepped up at bus stands and other crowded public places.
Following reports that some of the escapees hail from Madurai and Viluppuram districts, police in these districts have also been alerted to assist in tracing them. Meanwhile, prison guards who were on duty at the time of the escape have been suspended on the orders of Sandeep Rai Rathore.
Meanwhile, four of them were recaptured by the police within hours after they escaped from the jail. One of the escapees, identified as Praveen, was arrested first. Police subsequently apprehended three more inmates -- Silambarasan, Rajkumar and Raja Sikandar -- and all of them were brought back to the prison.
Reacting to it, Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Law and Prisons CTR.Nirmal Kumar said all efforts were on to trace the escaped inmates. He also exuded confidence of nabbing all of them soon. Meanwhile, the Opposition DMK President M.K.Stalin, his son and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Udhayanidhi, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, PMK President
and Rajya Sabha M Anbumani Ramadoss and leaders of various political parties condemned the incident.
In a post on X, Stalin had a dig at TVK government and cited the escape of two inmates from Puzhal prison. “Following Breaking Bad, Prison Break has also started in Tamil Nadu!...I thought that only criminals who are out on bail are not monitored. This regime is intent on allowing prisoners inside prison to escape."
"By the time we recover from the shock of 2 prisoners escaping from Puzhal prison , 17 prisoners have escaped from Theni district prison. They say this is the first time since 1995 that so many prisoners have escaped at once. It is unacceptable that this would happen
in 2026, when security arrangements and surveillance facilities have improved", he said, adding, the criminals outside freely commit crimes, while the prisoners inside boldly escape.
Expressing shock over the Theni jail break, EPS cited the escape of two inmates from Puzhal prison days after the Chief Minister inspected the premises and sought to know whether it was a real inspection or an astrological remedy as advised by his astrolger. When inmates can attack the wardens and escape from prison, he sought to know how this government would ensure security for the common man.
Citing rising incidents of murder, crimes against women, involvement of ruling partymen in drug trade, incidents of child missing and
jail break, he urged the government to trace the escaped inmates and devote more attention in maintainin law and order in the state.
Express shock, Anbumani said it was condemnable that security arrangements at the district jail were so inadequate that prisoners arrested in POCSO cases and under the Goondas Act could escape.
Scenes of prisoners escaping from jail, which were previously seen only in films, are now becoming a reality. This is deeply concerning. It reflects the weakening of the administration of departments such as the police and the prisons department, which are responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring security, Anbumani, also a former union Minister, said in a statement.
The fact that 17 prisoners escaped simultaneously after assaulting the prison staff cannot be treated as an ordinary incident. It exposes
a serious failure on the part of the prisons department, he said, adding, the considerable gap between the reported time of the prisoners' escape and the time the police were informed about the incident has raised several questions.
"I urge the government to immediately apprehend all the prisoners who escaped from Theni jail and investigate whether there was any conspiracy or deliberate plan behind their escape. Action must also be taken against prison officials whose negligence led to this daring jail break", he added.
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Tags: #Daring jail break in TN : 3 wardens attacked# 17 inmates flee# four recaptured# 9 staff suspended# parties condemn
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