CHENNAI: Armed personnel will guard watchtowers round the clock at central prisons, special prisons for women and district jails across TN, with self-loading rifles (SLRs) deployed to prevent jailbreaks following the escape of the prisoners from the sub-jail on Monday night.
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore told TNIE that armed personnel had begun manning watchtowers at central prisons on Tuesday, with the deployment extended to district jails from Wednesday.
Rathore clarified that prison officials do not have the authority to order guards to shoot an inmate merely for attempting to escape. “The deployment of firearms will depend on security requirements,” he said.
A senior prison official said watchtowers had not been routinely manned by armed personnel due to staff shortages and other constraints.
Following the escape, Rathore held a review meeting with senior officials. Meanwhile, the department has cancelled leave for prison personnel and directed them to report for duty following the incident.
“I have been on prison security duty for the past three days and have been eating prison food. I have not been able to go home and see my family. With the staff shortage, there is nobody available to replace us,” a prison source at Lalgudi sub-jail in Tiruchy said.