MADURAI: A few days after his surrender, a video of Meenakshi Sundaram — one of the 17 inmates who had escaped from the Theni district jail — went viral on social media, wherein the prisoner is seen claiming that he had fled the Thekkampatti jail only to bring his grievances to the attention of a judge and not to remain at large. He also claimed that 20 other inmates had collectively decided to flee and escaped from the prison.
However, Southern Zone IG Vijendra Bidari dismissed Sundaram’s claims as fabricated, stating that he had made no such complaint when Principal District Judge A Saravanakumar visited the prison for a routine inspection on Monday. Remand prisoners were produced before the judicial magistrate every 15 days, providing them an opportunity to raise grievances, he said, adding that Sundaram had recorded the video with the assistance of his advocate before surrendering.
He also refuted Sundaram’s claim that 21 prisoners had escaped and said police records showed that only 17 prisoners had fled the prison.
In the video, released on Sunday, Sundaram alleged that he suffered continuous mental harassment, threats of punishment and restrictions on meeting visitors, despite repeated representations to officials.
Claiming that he feared for his safety inside the prison, Sundaram said he had no intention of remaining at large and wanted an opportunity to explain his grievances before a judge. He also denied his younger brother’s involvement in planning the escape. Urging the authorities to examine CCTV footage and conduct an impartial inquiry, he said all the inmates had acted collectively.
Speaking to TNIE, IG Vijendra Bidari also rejected Sundaram’s attempt to justify the escape by citing alleged prison conditions, maintaining that he had no valid grounds to support his claims.
Meanwhile, Sundaram’s mother, Arumugathammal, on Saturday appealed to the chief minister to order a judicial inquiry into the alleged assault of her two sons and 15 other inmates by prison staff following their surrender. In a petition, she alleged that the 17 inmates were brutally beaten with lathis and kicked with boots on October 29. Her sons — Sundaram and Thirupathi — and two other inmates sustained injuries, she said, and claimed that despite their injuries, they were transferred to Salem prison without proper medical treatment.
Responding to the allegations, IG Bidari said all the apprehended prisoners were produced before the magistrate after medical examinations. The entire process was videographed. When contacted, Prisons DGP K Shankar said he would inquire into the matter.