Seventeen remand prisoners escaped from Thekkampatti sub-jail in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district after allegedly attacking prison staff and snatching their keys.
What followed was an extensive manhunt involving special police teams, drones and searches across villages and forest terrain. Police eventually arrested all 17 escapees, with the final two fugitives, Madurai-based brothers Meenakshi Sundaram and Tirupathi, caught near the Cumbum–Uthamapalayam bypass road on Wednesday.
Nine prison staff members were suspended over alleged negligence as questions mounted over security lapses.