Seventeen high-risk prisoners staged a movie-style jailbreak in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, raising serious concerns over poor security arrangements of security in Indian jails. It also triggered fear and a sense of insecurity among the citizens.
According to the BBC, the incident took place on Monday night at a jail in Theni district, where 18 prisoners were locked in a single room.
One prisoner pretended to suffer a heart attack, prompting the others to shout for help. When a prison guard entered the room, the inmates overpowered him.
The prisoners then attacked the guards, seized their keys and escaped through the main gate. One of the inmates returned to the jail shortly after the escape.
Police launched operations at several locations, recapturing four prisoners at a bus station, another while travelling in an auto-rickshaw, and others with the help of drone surveillance.
The final two prisoners surrendered to police on Wednesday. All 17 escapees have been transferred to high-security prisons.
According to police, the jail was holding 334 inmates despite having a capacity of 200, while only four guards were on duty at the time of the incident.
Nine prison staff members have been suspended on charges of negligence.
Investigators described the incident as a serious lapse and a major violation of security protocols. Authorities have announced a review of security arrangements at prisons across the state, raising serious concerns over poor arrangements of security in Indian jails.
