17 convicts escape Tamil Nadu jail after staging epilepsy ruse

As many as 17 convicts serving various sentences at a district jail in Tamil Nadu's Theni escaped on Monday. One of them was secured from near the prison, a police official said.

The prisoners escaped after allegedly staging a ruse that one of them was suffering from epilepsy, and later attacking prison personnel. At around 11:20 pm on Monday, police received information from the prison authorities that a jailbreak had occurred, said IGP South Zone Vijayendra S Bidari.

The incident occurred late at night at the jail located in Thekkampatti, Theni district, located about 500 km south of Chennai.

An epilepsy ruse, then jailbreak

Before the escape, the convicts allegedly informed the prison authorities that one of the convict was suffering from fits and requires medical attention.

"It appears that the prisoners escaped by putting a drama as if one of them was unwell and suffering from fits or epilepsy", Bidari said.

The prisoners later attacked the prison personnel and made the escape, a police official told HT on condition of anonymity.

Bidari also said that one person from the prison department suffered an injury and he has been taken into the district government hospital for treatment. "Exact numbers of prisoners are available. We have all the details about the criminals. Right now, it will not be appropriate to share those details. We are further taking action," he said.

Superintendent of Police K S Praveen Gowtham is leading the investigation and 17 teams have been formed to nab the escaped convicts.

One convict secured

A police official said one of the 17 accused was secured from an area near the prison. "One accused has been secured. He was hiding in a forest area behind the prison. He has been secured," an official said.

The police has set up temporary check-posts on areas bordering neighbouring districts including Idukki, Madurai and Dindigul.

The details about the escaped convicts their photographs have been shared to nab the culprits, the official added.

The mass jail break comes a week after two inmates who escaped from the highly-secured central prison in Puzhal near Chennai on October 13. As many as 14 special teams were formed to nab the convicts. The police launched a manhunt and two days later, nabbed the two escaped prisoners in Chennai.