Chennai/Theni, Oct 28 (PTI) In the wake of a major security breach, the Tamil Nadu prison department has authorised its personnel to use firearms if necessary to prevent prisoners from escaping, police said on Wednesday.
Police sources said Director General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore issued directives allowing guards to use guns, depending on the situation, to control untoward incidents such as jailbreaks.
The stringent security measures were ordered after a shocking incident in which 17 inmates managed to escape from the Theni District Jail in Thekkampatti late on October 26, triggering massive statewide security alerts.
Meanwhile, two more fugitives who had escaped from the Theni district prison were arrested on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recaptured inmates to 15. The arrested individuals were identified as Ponmuthu Selvan and Regin, police said.
On Monday night, the inmates had orchestrated the jailbreak by staging a fake medical emergency, pretending that one of them was suffering an epileptic seizure. When a guard entered their cell to assist, the prisoners overpowered and assaulted him. They subsequently seized the main gate keys, opened the entrance, and fled into nearby forested areas.
The Tamil Nadu police launched a large-scale search operation, deploying 17 special teams, five Special Task Force units, and surveillance drones across the region and neighbouring districts.
By October 27, authorities had recaptured 13 of the 17 fugitives.
Following information that the remaining escapees were hiding in the Amachiyapuram hilly area near the prison complex, police intensified their search in the hills and apprehended Ponmuthu Selvan and Regin. A manhunt is currently underway to nab the remaining two prisoners.
Meanwhile, sources said following the mass escape, instructions have been issued to ensure the deployment of armed guards for surveillance at watchtowers across 125 prisons in the state.
Sources indicated that a definitive decision has been made to permit the use of weapons if inmates attempt to flee.
They also said further orders detailing strict security protocols, including continuous monitoring by armed personnel from high towers, are being rolled out. PTI JR SA
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