Chennai: Seventeen undertrial inmates allegedly escaped from Tamil Nadu’s Thekkampatti sub-jail late Monday night after attacking guards on duty. Police had rearrested 13 of them by Tuesday evening, while large-scale search operations are underway to trace the remaining.
Around 10.30 pm, some of the inmates, all lodged in the same cell, alerted a guard that one prisoner was suffering from seizures and needed immediate assistance, said police. When the cell was opened, they attacked the guards, injuring three, before fleeing the premises.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari rushed to the spot and held an investigation with Theni Superintendent of Police Praveen Gowtham. Bidari later told the media, “It appears that the prisoners escaped by putting on a drama as if one of them was unwell and suffering from fits or epilepsy. The inmates attacked the staff who entered the cell and fled.”
Bidari said Tuesday evening that 13 inmates have been rearrested using drone surveillance
Some of the rearrested inmates were identified as Praveen Kumar, Silambarasan, Raja Sikandar and Rajkumar. Praveen Kumar, a Madurai resident, was apprehended within hours of the escape, while the other three were arrested later. Silambarasan is from Theni district, where the jail is located, while Raja Sikandar and Rajkumar hail from Madurai.
The remaining inmates, who were in custody in connection with various criminal cases, are from Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Salem and Villupuram.
Of the three injured prison personnel, Grade II police constable Thangapandi sustained a serious head injury and was admitted to a government hospital. The other two suffered minor injuries.
Bidari said check-posts had been set up and vehicle checks intensified. Police alerts had also been issued across Theni and neighbouring districts, including Madurai and Dindigul, as well as areas bordering Kerala’s Idukki district. Details of the escapees have been circulated among police teams, and the public has been asked to share any information that could help locate them.
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Opposition slams Vijay government
The escape, which came days after two prisoners fled Puzhal Central Prison, has triggered sharp criticism of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, with Opposition parties accusing it of failing to maintain law and order.
Former Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin took a “Prison Break” dig at the government, referencing the popular television series about prison escapes. “Following the trend of Breaking Bad, it seems Prison Break has now begun in Tamil Nadu!” he wrote on X. He was also referring to the arrest last week of TVK functionary N. Boobalan with more than 100 kg of methamphetamine.
Stalin said Monday’s incident was the first time since 1995 that such a large number of prisoners had escaped at once. That year, 52 LTTE prisoners fled in two separate incidents.
Breaking Bad தொடர்ந்து, தமிழ்நாட்டில் Prison Break-உம் தொடங்கிவிட்டது!
ஜாமினில் வெளிவரும் குற்றவாளிகளைத்தான் கண்காணிப்பதில்லை என்று நினைத்தேன்.
சிறைக்குள் இருக்கும் கைதிகளையும் தப்பிக்க விடும் இலட்சணத்தில்தான் இந்த ஆட்சி இருக்கிறது.
புழல் சிறையில் இருந்து 2 கைதிகள் தப்பி ஓடிய…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 27, 2026
DMK MP Kanimozhi also criticised the TVK government, saying, “The government could not even arrest the criminals… nor protect the criminals who are in prison! What answer is the TVK’s police IT wing going to give for this?”
BJP Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy called the escape a humiliating failure for the TVK government and a direct indictment of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s administration. He said the inmates had used a “most basic of ruses”, with one faking a seizure while the others waited. “This was not a high-risk breakout. It was a crude fraud that succeeded because prison security under the TVK government is in a state of collapse,” Thirupathy said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami also criticised the state’s law-and-order situation and accused Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar of prioritising political rhetoric over his ministerial responsibilities. “Even when two prisoners escaped from Puzhal prison earlier, the government and the minister should have ensured the security of Tamil Nadu’s prisons. Apparently they had no time for that,” he said.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s earlier inspection of Puzhal prison, Palaniswami asked whether it had been a genuine review. “If the prison itself is in a state where inmates can attack warders and escape, how will ordinary people be safe on the roads under this directionless regime?” he asked.
He cited rising murders, crimes against women, drug cases involving ruling party functionaries, missing children and prison escapes, urging the government to recapture the inmates and address the state’s law-and-order situation.
Meanwhile, TVK minister Nirmal Kumar said the security lapses were being investigated and 17 special teams had been deployed to search for the escapees.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)
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