The jailbreak has sparked outrage over prison security failures. Authorities admitted major lapses, revealing the inmate used a cloth rope to scale walls after cutting through bars. Four officials were suspended
Published Jul 27, 2025 | 10:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 27, 2025 | 10:50 PM
Govindachamy’s jailbreak caught on CCTV; State orders high-level probe into security lapses
Synopsis: CCTV footage has exposed Govindachamy’s dramatic escape from Kannur Central Jail on 25 July, revealing a meticulously planned jailbreak executed over several hours. The convicted criminal slipped through a tampered cell wall, retrieved items repeatedly, and scaled multiple barriers before fleeing past 4 am. The incident has raised serious concerns over security lapses in one of Kerala’s most fortified prisons
Shocking CCTV footage has surfaced capturing the dramatic escape of convicted criminal Govindachamy from Kannur Central Jail in the early hours of Friday, 25 July. The visuals reveal a meticulously planned jailbreak that unfolded over several hours, exposing severe security lapses in one of Kerala’s most guarded prisons.
The footage shows Govindachamy slipping out of his cell in Block 10 around 1:15 am. He is first seen throwing out a cloth bundle, possibly to test the surroundings or aid his climb. Moments later, he squeezes through a carefully cut opening in the cell wall — clear evidence of tampering carried out over time.
He returns multiple times to the cell to retrieve more items, including cloth strips believed to have been fashioned into a makeshift rope. By 1:20 am, he fully exits the cell.
Over the next few hours, the video shows him scaling the inner wall of the 10th block and eventually climbing the outer prison boundary — a high-security wall presumed to be impenetrable. His final leap to freedom occurred sometime past 4 am.
Preliminary investigations suggest the escape had been in the making for nearly six weeks. While Govindachamy claimed he had no help from fellow inmates or prison staff, investigators are not ruling out inside assistance.
He was eventually traced to Thalappu, about 4 km from the jail, hiding near an abandoned office building. Acting on intelligence, police surrounded the area but delayed immediate action due to the presence of a local crowd. In a desperate last move, Govindachamy dove into a nearby well to hide. After a tense three-hour search, he was located and rearrested.
The manhunt spanned across multiple districts, including Kozhikode, Kasaragod, and various locations around Kannur. Following his recapture, Govindachamy was shifted to the high-security prison in Viyyur under tight surveillance and is now being held in solitary confinement.
The jailbreak has triggered a storm of criticism over the prison’s security mechanisms. Four prison officials have already been suspended. Admitting to serious lapses, jail authorities said the inmate used a rope made from cloth to scale the walls after cutting through jail bars.
In response, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has ordered a high-level inquiry. At an emergency meeting held on Saturday, the state government appointed retired Kerala High Court Judge Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and former State Police Chief Jacob Punnoose to lead the probe into the breach.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the state, raising questions about how a high-risk inmate managed to evade detection for hours — and escape from what was supposed to be a maximum-security facility.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
