Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday ordered the suspension of the deputy jail officer holding additional charge of the Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni district, five days after 17 remand prisoners escaped from the facility. He also ordered a reshuffle of senior prison administrators.
The officer, who had held additional charge since August 6, 2024, was suspended with effect from October 30 under the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules. The suspension order cited his failure to maintain adequate supervision, control and vigilance over inmates and the staff on duty. It will remain in force until further orders.
As part of the administrative reshuffle, R. Krishnaraj, Superintendent of Madurai Central Prison, has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Salem Central Prison.
Earlier this week, the government transferred Director General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore and posted him as DGP and Chief Vigilance Officer of TANGEDCO. K. Shankar, Additional Director General of Police of the Enforcement Bureau-CID, was appointed as the new head of Prisons and Correctional Services. The order was signed by Principal Secretary A. Karthik.
The escape from Thekkampatti sub-jail took place around 10 pm on October 26. The inmates allegedly raised an alarm claiming that one of them was suffering an epileptic seizure. When a warder opened the cell, the prisoners overpowered him and other guards before escaping with the keys to the main gate.
Thirteen of the escapees were apprehended the following day, while the remaining four were caught on October 28. The search operation lasted around 40 hours, with drones deployed to locate some of the prisoners hiding in nearby thickets.
Nine prison personnel were suspended following the Theni escape. The State had also suspended seven assistant jailers after two prisoners escaped from Puzhal Central Prison on October 20, marking two prison security breaches within a week.
The 17 prisoners are being produced before a magistrate in batches and remanded to judicial custody. They are to be shifted to central prisons in Salem, Vellore, Cuddalore and Puzhal.
The Chief Minister has directed prison officials to discharge their duties diligently and warned that negligence would invite stringent disciplinary action.
(With inputs from PTI and media reports)