17 undertrial prisoners allegedly faked a seizure to break out of a Tamil Nadu jail; 13 caught within a day

Seventeen undertrial prisoners escaped from the Thekkampatti jail near Andipatti in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district late on Monday night (26 October), after one of them allegedly faked an epileptic seizure to get a guard to open their cell. By Tuesday evening, 13 of them were back in custody and four were still at large, police and prison officials said.

All 17 had been locked in the same cell. At around 10.30 pm, some of them called the warder on duty, claiming that an inmate had suffered a seizure and needed help, The Hindu reported, citing preliminary inquiries. When the staffer opened the cell and went in, the other inmates allegedly attacked him and fled. The group got out through the jail’s main gate at around 11 pm.

The guard, a prison officer named Thangapandi, suffered a head injury, and two other prison staff had minor injuries, according to the police. The Kandamanur police have registered a case.

Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari said 17 special teams had been formed. “Combing operations are under way to secure all the remaining accused,” he said. Checkpoints were set up on routes into Kerala, including Kumily, Cumbum Mettu and Bodimettu, and police in Kerala’s Idukki district were alerted.

The first escapee was found in bushes behind the prison in the early hours. Others were picked up walking along village roads, and one while boarding an autorickshaw. Eight more were tracked to a forest area near Theni town, where more than 300 police personnel and drones were deployed, The Indian Express reported.

Tamil Nadu Police said on X: “So far, 13 escaped prisoners have been secured. The operation is continuing to trace and secure the remaining escapees.” The post said Armed Reserve, Tamil Nadu Special Police and Special Task Force teams had been deployed, and drones were used to scan the surrounding areas.

Director-General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore blamed human error. “There was a clear breach of security protocol as the prisoners managed to pass through a three-tier barrier manned by security personnel. Some prison staff were carried away by the claim that an inmate had suffered epilepsy and was battling for life. Their focus was on shifting him to the hospital. The prisoners took advantage of this gap and escaped,” he told The Hindu.

Nine prison staff, including three head constables, have been suspended, and a detailed inquiry has been ordered. Asked whether any officials had colluded with the prisoners, Rathore said any such nexus would be known only after the inquiry. Five of the escapees were involved in a murder case in Madurai district’s Vikramangalam police limits, The Hindu reported.

The escape is among the largest in Tamil Nadu since 1995, when 43 suspected LTTE militants fled a special camp inside Vellore Fort through a 153-foot tunnel. Police have asked anyone with information on the remaining four to call 9498101570 or 9176104100.