Chennai’s Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the suspension of the deputy jail superintendent in charge of Thekkampatti sub-jail.
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the suspension of a deputy jailor in charge of Thekkampatti sub-jail and initiated disciplinary action against prison officials following the escape of 17 prisoners in Theni district on October 26. All 17 escapees were subsequently recaptured.
Earlier reporting noted: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay suspends deputy jail superintendent over Theni jailbreak, orders multiple transfers Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay on Saturday reportedly suspended the deputy jail superintendent at Theni district prison, while also ordering major prison staff transfers, days after 17 inmates orchestrated a jailbreak from there. Earlier reporting noted: Deputy jail superintendent N Ramalingam, who had been serving in Theni since August, 2024, was dismissed from service for failure in prison administration and security monitoring, ANI news agency reported. In total, 17 personnel were placed under suspension, and a departmental inquiry ordered against them. Earlier reporting noted: Meanwhile, two convicts lodged at the highly secured prison at Puzhal near Chennai also fled on October 20.
Taking serious note of the security breach, the state government has also ordered changes in the prison administration. K Shankar has been appointed the new additional director general of police for Prisons and Correctional Services. Vijay directed prison officials to discharge their duties with diligence and maintain strict security at correctional facilities. The government made it clear that negligence, lack of vigilance and lapses in the discharge of official responsibilities would invite stringent disciplinary action. The latest measures are part of the state government’s response to the jailbreak, which exposed security and supervision lapses at the sub-jail. They were nabbed after two days of search by seven police teams. However, the two jailbreaks, which came within a week, spurred the Tamil Nadu government into action.
Earlier, the government transferred Director General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) as chief vigilance officer. The state government on Thursday transferred the director general of police (DGP) – prisons and correctional services, Dr Sandeep Rai Rathore, HT earlier reported.