Tamil Nadu government takes action after series of jailbreaks
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered suspensions and administrative reshuffles following escapes in Theni and Coimbatore.
The Tamil Nadu government has initiated disciplinary action and administrative changes following a series of jailbreaks in the state. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered the suspension of N Ramalingam, the deputy jail superintendent in charge at Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni district, for dereliction of duty after 17 prisoners escaped on October 26.
According to the Deccan Chronicle, the Theni escape occurred after prisoners staged a fake medical emergency and overpowered guards. While all 17 prisoners were recaptured and lodged back in jail, the Chief Minister directed the Prisons Department to implement severe punitive measures against erring officials.
In Coimbatore, a robbery accused named Raghavan escaped from the Coimbatore Central Prison complex after his handcuffs were removed during admission, as reported by The Indian Express. This followed an incident the previous evening where Raghavan allegedly escaped from the Annur police station before being caught.
The government has implemented several administrative changes, including the transfer of Madurai Central Prison Superintendent R Krishnaraj and the appointment of K Shankar as the new ADGP of Prisons and Correctional Services. Additionally, Director General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore has been transferred to TANGEDCO as CVO.
The Prisons Department has also launched a security audit across prisons to identify vulnerabilities. This comes as reports indicate overcrowding in some facilities, such as the Theni jail which housed 334 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of 200.