Police have arrested 13 of the 17 undertrial prisoners who escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, using drone surveillance and coordinated search operations to track down the fugitives, officials said.
South Zone Inspector General of Police Vijayendra Bidari said the police had quickly identified and secured the escaped prisoners. Prison Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore said nine prison department officials had been suspended over the incident.
Massive manhunt after jailbreak
The 17 inmates allegedly overpowered prison guards and escaped late Monday night, triggering a massive manhunt. Police teams were deployed to trace the fugitives, with two teams working together in the operation.
Escapee caught during auto-rickshaw journey
One of the escapees, identified as Lingeswaran, was caught after he allegedly boarded an auto-rickshaw near a local college and asked the driver to take him to Kanavilakku.
According to the driver, a woman passenger also boarded the vehicle during the journey. Lingeswaran reportedly remained on his phone, speaking about transferring money, while the driver remained unaware that he was carrying an escaped prisoner.
A police head constable riding a two-wheeler intercepted the auto-rickshaw near a medical shop and identified Lingeswaran. The officer took him into custody without resistance and directed the driver to take the vehicle back to the prison.
The driver later told reporters that he learnt the passenger was an escaped inmate only after the police intervened.
Nine prison officials suspended
Authorities have suspended nine prison officials over alleged negligence as efforts continue to trace the remaining escapees. Police have not disclosed further details about the circumstances that enabled the inmates to break out.
