COIMBATORE: A remand prisoner's escape from the Coimbatore Central Prison has triggered questions over accountability between the police and prison departments.
While prison officials maintain that the prisoner escaped before being admitted to the prison and was still in police custody, police point out that the escape occurred within the prison campus. They also questioned the security measures on the prison campus and the strength of the prison's perimeter wall.
Coimbatore Central Prison was built in 1872 and spans around 168 acres in the heart of the city, with most of its lands remaining unused. Of this, a portion was used for the construction of the Semmozhi Poonga.
Earlier, the prison had two entrances - one at ATC Colony on the southern side and another on Dr Nanjappa Road on the western side, adjacent to the recently opened Periyar Arivulagam. The southern entrance has since been taken over for the Semmozhi Poonga project, leaving the western gate as the main entry point for prisoners and visitors.
"As the prisoner was spotted in CCTV footage near the LIC junction on Avinashi Road, police suspect that he could have escaped from the south entrance. Although a separate perimeter wall has been built between the prison and Semmozhi Poonga, it is only 6.5 feet in height, making it easy to scale. The prison department should identify the security gaps and map the prisoner's escape. They should also look into the height of the perimeter walls on all sides," said a senior police officer.
Meanwhile, a senior officer from the prisons department said guards had been instructed to keep the gates locked and open them only when required, instead of leaving them open under the supervision of security personnel. One guard officer and four guards have been deployed at the gates, along with two armed CRPF personnel at the entrance. CCTV surveillance has also been strengthened," the officer said.
Prisons department DGP K Shankar told TNIE the prisoner had escaped before the admission process began and before he was formally handed over to prison authorities. "The prisoner escaped before being admitted to the prison and even before the admission process. Police only filed a complaint regarding the incident. We have already increased security arrangements after the Theni jailbreak, and there was no lapse in our security," he said.
Top police officials, including the West Zone IG, who is holding additional charge as Coimbatore city police commissioner, and the Coimbatore district police superintendent did not respond to comments.
