17 Inmates Escape Theni Jail; State Tightens Prison Security

Chennai, October 28: Following the escape of 17 inmates from the Theni district jail, Tamil Nadu will station armed guards in all its central and district jails starting Wednesday. Sandeep Rai Rathore, Director General of Police for Prisons and Correctional Services, confirmed the step.

The move is a key part of a larger change in security arrangements, announced after a jail break on Monday night. The episode has also highlighted failures in how a medical emergency was handled inside the facility. Jail authorities are currently reviewing security arrangements and drafting a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Rathore said armed personnel would be placed on watchtowers, and they would be instructed to shoot anyone they see attempting to escape. Guards on watchtowers in most of the state's jails have so far been unarmed.

The department has also decided to ensure that alarm systems work properly in every jail. Additional security measures will be taken after the security audit is completed and the new operating procedure comes into force.

Rathore acknowledged the security lapse at Theni jail. He said staff had acted with good intentions when they were informed that a prisoner's health was deteriorating. However, the established procedure for securing the gates was not followed.

The staff opened three gates and ran inside in response to the health alert. They failed to lock the gates from inside, leaving the route open and unprotected.

An official described the failure to secure the gates as a major violation of protocol. Taking advantage of the situation, the prisoners attacked the guards and fled.

The handling of the emergency alert and the failure to relock the gates have been placed at the center of the security breach. Although staff believed they were responding to a genuine health problem, the gates remained unsecured during their intervention.

Among the measures announced are armed surveillance and the readiness of alarm systems in all central and district jails. The armed deployment on watchtowers will be a change from the present system, where most guards work without firearms.

Armed deployment will begin on Wednesday, while other changes will depend on the results of the security audit and revised procedures. Rathore said additional measures would be enforced once both stages of the review are completed.