The great escape from Theni jail
On October 26, a group of 17 remand prisoners hatched a plan to escape from the Theni district jail under the cover of darkness. But the jailbreak has raised larger questions about prison overcrowding, staff shortages, security, and the need for reform, reports L. Srikrishna
Seventeen remand prisoners fled from Theni district jail and were apprehended in 42 hours.
On the afternoon of October 26, Prasanth alias Linga Prasanth, a 25-year-old differently abled remand prisoner in the Theni district jail of Tamil Nadu, was frustrated. Though he had obtained bail, he had not been able to get a surety bond.
To comfort him, his friends began plotting an escape. Investigators said Silambarasan, another remand prisoner, suggested feigning an epileptic seizure as part of the plan. After hours of discussion, all the 17 inmates of Prasanth’s cell agreed to stage the drama. At around 10.30 p.m., a few of them raised the alarm, claiming that one of them was having an epileptic seizure.
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