9 Tamil Nadu Prison Staff Suspended After 17 Undertrials Escape

In the wake of a massive security breach where 17 undertrial prisoners escaped from the Thekkampatti Sub-Jail in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department has suspended nine prison staff members for gross dereliction of duty. Out of the 17 escapees, authorities have successfully secured four individuals so far, while intensive search operations remain under way to track down the remaining 13 prisoners.

Sandeep Rai Rathore, DGP of Tamil Nadu prisons, told NDTV, "There is a lack and dereliction of duty."

The suspended include 2 Chief Head warders, 1 Grade I warder and 6 Grade II warders.

The South Zone Inspector General of Police Bidari told NDTV that intensive combing operations were under way in the forested area.

"We are confident we will secure all of them," he said.

Police suspect that the remaining prisoners may be hiding in the Theni forest area. Special teams have been deployed to comb the difficult terrain, alongside drones pressed into service to scour the dense forest canopy from above. Additionally, checkposts have been set up at 16 points to prevent the escapees from moving out of the area.

According to preliminary information, the breakout occurred after at least one of the undertrials allegedly feigned an epileptic seizure to draw prison personnel to their cell. The situation escalated when the staff responded, resulting in an assault on the personnel and leaving a police officer with injuries.

The incident has triggered a high-level investigation into supervisory lapses, leading to the immediate suspension of the nine jail staff members found responsible for the security breakdown.

The undertrials were facing various criminal cases, including attempt to murder and drug-related offences.

Police records indicate that the escapees predominantly belong to a young adult demographic, spanning largely between the ages of 19 and 26. They hail from various districts across Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Kanniyakumari, and Theni.