Published Oct 27, 2026 | 3:52 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2026 | 3:52 PM
Police have formed 17 special teams to trace the escapees and launched a combing operation across Theni district.
Five of the 17 prisoners who escaped from Theni District Jail at Thekkampatti on Monday night have been recaptured, while a search is underway to arrest the remaining 12, according to an official press release issued by the Tamil Nadu Police.
Nine prison staff members have been suspended for negligence in connection with the October 26 incident.
According to the press release, Theni District Jail, which can house 200 inmates, has been functioning at Thekkampatti since January 10, 2019. However, by October 26, the count of prisoners lodged there had swelled to 334.
The jailbreak occurred at around 10 pm on Monday, when a few prisoners raised an alarm claiming that an inmate in the third block was suffering an epileptic seizure.
Stalin Prabhu, a Grade II police constable (No. 15) serving as the ward guard for the third block, entered the block to check whether the inmate required medical attention. The prisoners allegedly attacked and overpowered him before attempting to escape.
Guards deployed at the main entrance initially attempted to prevent the prisoners from fleeing. However, the inmates allegedly attacked the guards, seized the keys, opened the main entrance and escaped from the jail.
A case has been registered at Kandamanur Police Station in connection with the incident under Crime No. 324/2026.
According to the press release, the case has been registered under Sections 121(1), 296(b), 115(2), 118(1), 309(4), 109, 262 and 353(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Nine prison personnel have been suspended for alleged negligence.
A team of senior police and prison officials visited Theni District Jail to assess the situation and review the circumstances surrounding the escape.
The officials who inspected the facility included:
Dr Sandeep Rai Rathore, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services
R Kanagaraj, Head of the Prisons and Correctional Services Department
Dr A Murugesan, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Madurai Range
R Krishnaraj, Superintendent of Madurai Central Prison
Vijayendra Bidari, Inspector General of Police, Madurai South Zone
Dr Abhinav Kumar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Madurai Range
Praveen Gautham, Superintendent of Police, Theni district
The officials reviewed the situation at the jail following the escape, while police personnel continued efforts to apprehend the remaining fugitives.
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(With inputs from Subash Chandra Bose. Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
