Theni jailbreak: 13 of 17 inmates recaptured after dramatic escape, 9 staff suspended
New Delhi: Thirteen of the 17 undertrial prisoners who escaped from a jail in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district have been recaptured with police continuing their search for the remaining four. Nine prison staff members have been suspended over the incident which triggered a statewide alert and a major manhunt.
The prisoners escaped from the Thekkampatti jail late on Monday after allegedly pretending that one of them was suffering from an epileptic seizure. When a warder entered the cell to check on the inmate, the prisoners reportedly overpowered him and the guard at the main gate before fleeing with the keys.
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore visited the jail on Tuesday to review the situation. Seventeen special teams were formed to trace the escapees, with police checking vehicles and coordinating with Kerala Police to monitor border areas.
தேனி மாவட்டத்தில் தப்பி ஓடிய கைதிகளை ட்ரோன் கண்காணிப்பை பயன்படுத்தி விரைவாக கண்டறிந்து பிடித்த காவல்துறையினர்.”
Using Drone Surveillance, Police rapidly identified and secured escaped prisoners in Theni District https://t.co/ohJjPa8AEu
— Tamil Nadu Police – South Zone (@SouthZoneTNpol) October 27, 2026
Drones help police track down escaped inmates
The search operation led to several arrests at different locations. One prisoner, Praveenkumarv was found hiding in bushes behind the jail while others were caught walking along roads near Andipatti and Ukkaraipatti.
Another escapee, Lingaprasath, was apprehended while boarding an autorickshaw. According to police, the driver had agreed to take him to Kanavilakku without knowing he was a fugitive. A police head constable intercepted the vehicle and directed the driver to take the passenger back to prison.
Later, police deployed more than 300 personnel and drones to search forest areas near Theni. Eight more prisoners were arrested during the operation, taking the total number of recaptured inmates to 13.
Police said the search for the remaining four prisoners was continuing, with additional checks along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.
Nine prison staff suspended as opposition targets government
An official said nine prison staff members had been suspended for negligence in their duties. The escape has also raised questions about security arrangements at the jail, which has been operational since January 2019 and has a capacity of 200 prisoners.
The incident drew criticism from opposition leaders. Former chief minister MK Stalin compared the jailbreak to the television series Prison Break and accused the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of failing to maintain law and order.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami called the incident a “rude shock” while the BJP described it as a “humiliating failure”. The jailbreak came less than two weeks after two inmates escaped from Chennai’s Puzhal Central Prison on October 13. Both were arrested two days later, following a police search operation.