17 Prisoners Escape Theni Sub-Jail, Drone Search Nets Eight

Seventeen prisoners escaped from a sub-jail in Theni, Tamil Nadu, after allegedly assaulting a guard on Monday night. Authorities have since used drone surveillance and a district-wide dragnet to track down the fugitives, and police have released drone footage from the operation.

The South Zone Tamil Nadu Police announced the developments on X, saying the escapees were traced and caught quickly with the help of drone monitoring.

The prisoners reportedly beat a jail guard, scaled the prison wall and fled. Once news of the escape broke, the district went into a state of high alert.

An officer of Inspector General rank took charge of the operation, and a large number of police personnel sealed off the district and launched a search. Four prisoners were arrested overnight. On Tuesday morning, an auto-rickshaw driver caught another fugitive and handed him over to police. He was sent back to jail, bringing the first wave of arrests to five.

Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore of the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department came to Theni directly from Chennai. He inspected the sub-jail and ordered an inquiry into the security failures.

From Tuesday morning, police deployed drones over forests and hilly areas. The aerial footage revealed prisoners hiding in bushes and jungle. Teams moved in to surround them, leading to the arrest of more escapees.

Reports indicate that the number of prisoners arrested in this phase has reached eight.

In its post on X, the police said the escaped prisoners were identified and apprehended immediately using drone surveillance, and praised the force for acting with speed and alertness.