Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Suspends Deputy Jail Superintendent After Theni Jailbreak, Orders Major Staff Reshuffle

Vijay Suspends Theni Deputy Jail Superintendent After 17 Inmates Escape, Orders Prison Staff Transfers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has reportedly suspended the deputy jail superintendent of Theni district prison and ordered a major reshuffle of prison personnel following the escape of 17 inmates earlier this week.

Deputy Jail Superintendent N Ramalingam, who had been posted at the Theni prison since August 2024, was dismissed from service over alleged lapses in prison administration and security supervision, news agency ANI reported on Saturday. Seventeen prison personnel have also been placed under suspension, with a departmental inquiry ordered against them.

Vijay has further instructed officials to strengthen security arrangements and surveillance systems across all prisons in the state.

All 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni facility have since been apprehended. Police have also begun the process of shifting them to high-security correctional facilities across Tamil Nadu, news agency PTI reported on Thursday.

The Theni incident came shortly after another jailbreak at Puzhal Central Prison near Chennai. Two convicts escaped from the high-security facility on October 20 but were caught after a two-day search involving seven police teams.

The two incidents within a week prompted the state government to take further action. On Thursday, the government transferred Dr Sandeep Rai Rathore, Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services).

How the 17 inmates escaped from Theni prison

The escape took place on Monday night after the inmates allegedly staged a fake medical emergency. They pretended that one prisoner was suffering an epileptic seizure, prompting a guard to open their cell to provide assistance.

According to PTI, the inmates then overpowered and assaulted the guard before taking the keys to the prison’s main gate and making their escape. They fled towards nearby forested areas.

The escapees reportedly left the Aranjanaipudur area on a motorcycle and headed towards Uthamapalayam. They later borrowed a mobile phone from a person in Ammachipuram to contact an associate, who allegedly arranged money, clothes and vehicles for them.

Extensive search operation led to arrests

A large-scale operation was launched to track down the fugitives. Seventeen specialised police teams, five special task force units and four Tamil Nadu Special Police battalions took part in the search.

Police also deployed specialised drones during daylight hours to scan dense forest areas and identify possible locations where the escapees could be hiding.

Five inmates were arrested and produced before a judicial magistrate on Tuesday evening. They were remanded to judicial custody until November 10. Eight more were apprehended and presented before a court on Wednesday, which remanded them until November 11. The remaining escapees were produced before the court on Thursday.

Following the incident, Tamil Nadu minister R Nirmal Kumar acknowledged procedural lapses and said the government would strengthen prison security, including by improving CCTV surveillance, PTI reported.