5 Tamil Nadu convicts captured after jailbreak, one sent back in auto he took after escape

Five Tamil Nadu convicts who broke out of a jail in Theni district have been recaptured, while one of them was apprehended in an auto he took after escaping. The Director General of Police (Prisons) and Correctional Services, Dr Sandeep Rai Rathore, and the IGP South Zone, Vijayendra S Bidari, visited the incident site and met with local jail authorities.

Four out of the 17 prisoners who escaped have been arrested during search operations, according to IGP Bidari. The fifth convict was arrested from an autorickshaw he had taken following the escape, as the unsuspecting driver agreed to drop him off at Kanavilakku, police said.

Following the escape, nine prison staff members were suspended. The convicts managed to break free by pretending one of them was suffering from epilepsy and required medical assistance. They overpowered the prison guards and escaped from the jail, authorities said. The Opposition in Tamil Nadu, including former chief minister MK Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, criticized the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, highlighting the recent escape as a "humiliating failure" for the state.