Police have recaptured four of the 17 undertrial prisoners who escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district, while a manhunt is underway to trace the remaining 13, officials said on Tuesday.
The escape took place late Monday after the inmates allegedly staged a medical emergency to trick prison staff into opening their cell.
Police identified the four recaptured prisoners as Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Raja Sikandar and Rajkumar.
According to police, some inmates in the shared cell alerted the warden, claiming that a prisoner was suffering an epileptic seizure and needed urgent medical attention.
When prison personnel unlocked the cell, the inmates allegedly attacked and overpowered them before fleeing the premises. Three prison staff members were injured in the incident.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari has formed 17 special teams to track down the fugitives. Vehicle checks have been intensified in neighbouring Dindigul district, while police in Kerala have also been alerted.
Combing operations are underway in forest areas along the Western Ghats and in Idukki district.
A high-level investigation has been launched into the security lapse at the sub-jail, a source said.
The jailbreak has triggered a political row, with opposition parties accusing the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of failing to maintain law and order.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami termed the escape shocking and slammed Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s administration, questioning how the public could feel safe when prisoners could overpower prison staff and escape from a government facility.
Palaniswami urged the government to apprehend all the fugitives and strengthen law and order in the state.
BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the incident as a humiliating failure of the TVK government, alleging that inadequate security and negligence had enabled the escape.
He demanded accountability from the officials responsible and called for the immediate recapture of the remaining prisoners.
(With inputs from PTI)