Seventeen inmates lodged at the Theni sub-jail in Tamil Nadu escaped late Monday night after allegedly assaulting a police official, officials said. According to police, all 17 accused persons were lodged in the same cell. They allegedly assaulted prison personnel when the latter entered the cell after receiving information that one of the inmates was unwell, before escaping from the jail.
According to the police, four of the missing inmates have been nabbed, while 17 special teams have been formed to trace and apprehend the remaining escapees.
Security teams are conducting intensive vehicle checks following the incident. Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar told ANI that check posts had been set up at 16 locations as a precautionary measure.
Information about the incident was shared with the police in Madurai and Dindigul districts, as well as Idukki in Kerala, which borders Tamil Nadu, while photographs of the escaped accused were circulated among police officials to assist in their identification.
