CHENNAI: The recent escape of prisoners from the Theni district jail and Puzhal prison has triggered a reshuffle in the higher ranks of the prisons department with DGP (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore transferred as DGP and Chief Vigilance Officer, Tangedco, Chennai, on Thursday. K Shankar, ADGP, Enforcement Bureau-CID, has been appointed the new head of Prisons and Correctional Services. He had previously served as the head of prisons from January 2, 2026, before being transferred to another post.
The reshuffle comes even as the department had initiated suspension of nine prison personnel following the escape of 17 remand prisoners from Theni district jail on Monday night and seven prison personnel over the escape of two prisoners from Puzhal Central Prison last week. The incidents raised questions over security arrangements in TN prisons.
Law and Prison Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar on Thursday told reporters that the state government was overhauling the prison department by introducing new security systems, online visitor registration and staff redeployment to address longstanding deficiencies. “The system has been deteriorating for 20 to 30 years, and we are working to transform it,” he said.
The government has approved additional CCTV cameras and scanning machines and mandated body cameras for prison guards during inspections. AI-enabled surveillance systems are also being procured to monitor prison perimeter walls. The department has closed 16 sub jails and redeployed personnel to central prisons to address staff shortages.
Recruitment through the TNPSC and promotions are also being pursued. New central prisons are being constructed in Coimbatore and Madurai, while a high-security prison integrated with a court complex is coming up in Tiruchy. Video-conferencing facilities are expected to be introduced across prisons within two months.
IPS officers transferred
The state government has also ordered the transfer of five other IPS officers. It appointed Sanjay Mathur as DGP, State Crime Records Bureau, upgrading the post from the IG rank. Sonal Chandra, who held the post, has been transferred as IG of Police, Headquarters, in the office of the DGP and HoPF. B Ragupathy,
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pallikaranai, has been posted as Karur SP, replacing D N Hari Kiran Prasad. Dr R Stalin, SP, Economic Offences Wing, North Zone, has been posted as Tenkasi SP, replacing S Ashok Kumar. Ashok Kumar has been posted as SP, Anti-Terrorism Squad, Madurai, against an existing vacancy.