Theni (Tamil Nadu): In a brazen and meticulously planned escape, 17 undertrial prisoners broke out of the Thekkampatti sub-jail here late Monday night after staging a fake medical emergency and overpowering prison guards, but luck ran out for 13 of them as a relentless police crackdown ensured they were back behind bars within hours.
The dramatic jailbreak unfolded at around 10 pm Monday. According to prison officials, the inmates triggered panic inside the cell by faking a severe medical emergency, claiming one of them was suffering a violent seizure.
Responding to the cries for help, unsuspecting warders opened the cell door to render assistance, only to be violently ambushed and overpowered by 17 prisoners in the block. The inmates snatched the keys and opened the main entrance and escaped.
Director General of Prisons Sandeep Rai Rathore, who rushed to the spot to inspect the sub-jail and oversee operations, confirmed that 13 of the escaped prisoners have already been nabbed following a coordinated, high-intensity search operation.
“Thirteen arrests have been made so far since the incident occurred last night,” Rathore told reporters after assessing the security breaches at the facility.
“Massive efforts are currently underway to trace the remaining four fugitives who are still at large. Our teams are working around the clock, and we are highly confident that the police will apprehend them very soon” Rathore said.
Also, he confirmed that nine prison personnel have been suspended in connection with the security lapse, which officials have attributed to human error.
Police said the incident left three officers injured. Five prisoners were recaptured shortly. The police successfully located and apprehended eight additional prisoners hiding in remote area and dense areas by effectively using drones, which proved vital in spotting the eight individuals hiding in thorny bushes near the prison grounds, though they had remained undetected earlier.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari has formed 17 special teams to track the escapees and also intensified vehicle checks in the neighbouring Dindigul district too, as many of the undertrials belong to Madurai and surrounding areas.
The incident drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, which questioned the administrative capability of the months-old C Joseph Vijay government, with DMK president and former CM M K Stalin claiming such an incident had happened in Tamil Nadu after 30 years.
Stalin alluded to popular American series — ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Prison Break’ — to launch a scathing attack on the TVK-led government over the law and order situation, following consecutive jailbreaks in Puzhal and Theni prisons.
“I thought that only criminals who are out on bail are not being monitored. This regime is intent on allowing prisoners inside the prison to escape,” he slammed.
Responding to his criticism, TVK IT Wing retorted “the hallmark of the DMK regime was that it had not given complete leadership to the police and not even appointed the DGP. In this situation, what moral right does the DMK have to talk about law and order.”
It further said “with all these problems in the Dummy Daddy regime, with what face do you give advice to others today.”
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that when the prison itself is not safe, with the prisoners attacking guards to escape, how can the common man be safe on the roads under this regime.
BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said, “The Theni jailbreak is a humiliating failure of the TVK government and a direct indictment of CM Vijay’s administration.”
“Packing so many remand prisoners together, failing to verify a medical claim before opening a cell, and allowing an entire group to overpower staff and exit is nothing but the incompetence, mismanagement and maladministration of the TVK government,” he said on X.
PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss expressed shock over the escape of 17 inmates, terming the incident a “stark failure” of the state prison department.
A release from the DGP office said 13 escapees were secured within 24 hours. The accused were involved in various criminal cases like murder, robbery, drug offence, Arms Act case and theft. On receipt of information, the entire state machinery was alerted and all officers were instructed to launch vehicle checking, lodge checking, strengthening of checkposts and combing of their respective areas, it said.
As per directions of Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, IGP South Zone Vijayendra S Bidari rushed to the spot and organised the entire operation. Additional resources like police personnel from Tamil Nadu Special Police, Special Task Force were also pressed into service.
In order to collect technical inputs, CCTV cameras were scrutinised and drones were also used for scanning of the area. The DGP spoke to his Keralam counterpart R A Chandrasekhar, requesting that state’ police to be vigilant in the border areas.
The Thekkampatti sub-jail has been functioning since January 10, 2019, and has a capacity to accommodate 200 inmates. On October 26, 2026, a total of 334 prisoners were confined in the prison.
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