Tamil Nadu was rocked by a major jailbreak late Monday as seventeen undertrial prisoners overpowered prison guards and escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Theni late Monday.
However, four of them were recaptured shortly after the major jailbreak, police said on Tuesday. The inmates had pulled off a coordinated escape by faking an epileptic seizure.
A few prisoners in the shared cell called out to the warden on duty, claiming an inmate was severely unwell and needed immediate assistance. When prison personnel unlocked and entered the cell to help, the inmates launched a sudden, violent assault, overpowered the security staff, leaving three officers injured and fled the premises.
Seventeen special teams have been formed to trace the 13 inmates still absconding across high-alert districts, while Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore and an inspector general visited the facility to investigate possible security lapses.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the DMK and BJP, who have cited a law and order failure and demanded the chief minister’s resignation.