Theni Jailbreak: 17 Inmates Escape, Manhunt Launched, DMK Slams Government
Seventeen inmates escaped from the Thekkampatti Sub Jail in Tamil Nadu's Theni district after faking illness and attacking guards. Jail officials entered the cell after prisoners claimed an inmate had suffered an epileptic attack, whereupon the inmates assaulted the personnel, injuring a grade two police personnel identified as Thangapandi, before fleeing. Following police raids, four escaped prisoners—Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Rajkumar, and Raja Sikandar—were apprehended, while thirteen remain at large. Seventeen special police teams have been deployed across the state to conduct a manhunt, with border checkpoints alerted across districts including Theni, Dindigul, and Usilampatti. The incident has also triggered a political controversy in Tamil Nadu, with the opposition DMK attacking Chief Minister Vijay and the TVK government over the state's law and order situation, pointing out that the jail portfolio is held by the Chief Minister and demanding his resignation, while also announcing a protest on the 31st.