Electric fence defunct in Puzhal prison for the past 3 years

A view of the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai.

The solar-powered electric fence along the perimeter wall of the Puzhal prison complex, one of the largest prisons in the country, has remained defunct for three years, official sources said on Sunday.

With no contract for annual maintenance, the solar-powered fence failed about three years ago. When a Nepal national inmate scaled the perimeter wall and escaped from the prison recently and later captured, it was reported the power supply in the fence was not functional due to rains.

However, the sources said the electric fence had no power supply for a long time. Confirming this to ‘The Hindu’, a senior official in the prison department said steps had been taken to restore power using Alternating Current (AC) like in other central prisons.

The Puzhal prison complex built on a sprawling 212 acres of land houses the Central Prison-I (Convicts), Central Prison-II (Remand Prisoners) and Special Prison for Women. The complex built by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister in 2006.

In a related development, the Tamil Nadu Prison Department has suspended out-gang duties preventing convicts from going out for managing fuel stations, prison bazaar stores etc.

Additional Director-General of Police, Prisons, K. Shankar said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure. About 100 convicts were deployed in fuel stations located close to 11 central prisons across Tamil Nadu and other small business establishments like ‘Freedom Bazaar’ that sell products manufactured by inmates in the prison industry.

“There are chances that they (the convicts on out-gang duties) might escape. The decision to suspend the deployment of convicts on duties outside the prison is a temporary measure. The fuel stations will continue to be operated by the Indian Oil Corporation,” the ADGP said.

Mr. Shankar took charge as the ADGP, Prisons, a couple of days ago after DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore was transferred following the sensational jailbreak in Theni where 17 inmates escaped from the district jail after overpowering the prison warders on duty. All the escapees were recaptured by the Tamil Nadu police who launched a massive combing operation and also flew drones over forest areas abutting Theni and neighbouring Keralam.