Police managed to nab 13 out of 17 undertrial prisoners who broke out of Thekkampatti Sub-Jail in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, while search is on for the remaining four prisoners.
However, the latest arrests were made following a search of the surrounding forest which the escaped prisoners are said to have been hiding within. The Tamil Nadu police used aerial forcing, special teams as surveillance tools to trace the fugitives throughout the precarious land.
Drones and Teams Deployed
Given the mountainous landscape and dense forests surrounding the jail, police initially sealed possible escape routes by establishing a strong cordon. After that, systematic operations for locating the missing prisoners were started.
Three specialised drones and 17 special teams were put to use by authorities during the daylight as they sought to increase their search. Drone images were used to help scan vast areas of forest and make an arrest of the prisoners when they were suspected of being located there.
Special attention was paid to the difficult terrain where the thick undergrowth and crags made the search by foot difficult.
How the Breakout Unfolded
“It appears that prisoners in one of the blocks started the escape when they said that a prisoner was having an epileptic fit,” preliminary information said.
The incident offered an opportunity for the undertrials to escape from the institution by its main gate.The incident ‘gave’ the undertrials an opportunity to go out from the jail by the main gate. The escape resulted in a large police sweep to recapture the escapees.
Serious Charges Filed Against Undertrials
The convicts had been released and were charged with a number of serious crimes, such as attempted murder and drug offences.
Police are still investigating two of the four prisoners missing, as 13 are now in custody. The rescue efforts are ongoing in the area and in and around the forest.
The exact nature of the break-out and what happened to the other prisoners remain to be known.