Theni jailbreak: Two more prisoners secured; two still at large

The police team searching for prisoners who escaped from the district jail in Thekkampatti, Theni district, on Tuesday | Photo Credit: G. Karthikeyan

Two more escaped prisoners from the Theni district jail have been arrested, taking the total number of persons secured to 15. Two more prisoners are still at large, and the police continued their combing operations for the second consecutive day on Wednesday (October 28, 2026).

On Monday night (October 26), 17 remand prisoners, who were detained in a cell, escaped after telling the jail warder that one of the inmates was suffering from epilepsy. When the staffer, a special sub-inspector, opened the cell, he was brutally assaulted, and all 17 prisoners escaped from the premises.

Senior officers, led by Inspector General of Police (south zone) Vijayendra Bidari, launched the search operation. As many as 17 teams were formed, and the Superintendents of Police (SPs) of Theni and Dindigul were put in charge of the operation.

Within a few hours, the police succeeded in nabbing one of the accused. They subsequently apprehended four more. Later, on Tuesday evening, using three high-definition drones, they successfully nabbed eight others in a forest area.

On Wednesday, the police team secured two more prisoners, who were identified as Ponmuthu Selvam and Regin.

Mr. Bidari told The Hindu that they were confident of securing the remaining two soon. “We are conducting a discreet probe with all the prisoners apprehended so far. The two SPs are jointly engaged in the investigation process,” he added.

Another officer said that they had taken a few of those rearrested to the hilly area and videographed the locations where the prisoners had taken shelter soon after escaping from the jail.

The Kandamanoor police have registered a case against all 17 accused under various sections of the law. The accused would be produced before a Judicial Magistrate for remand.

Published - October 28, 2026 04:18 pm IST