BJP slams govt over escape of 17 undertrials from Theni sub-jail

Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy slammed the TVK government over the escape of 17 undertrial prisoners from the Theni sub-jail, claiming it a “shameful and monumental failure” of law and order under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

In a statement, Thirupathy claimed how the inmates allegedly escaped from the Theni (Thekkampatti) sub-jail on the night of October 26. According to the statement, the prisoners, who were lodged in the same room, allegedly executed a simple trick, with one of them faking an epileptic seizure.

“When prison warder Thangapandi opened the door to check, the inmates attacked him and escaped,” Thirupathy claimed, adding that while one prisoner had been recaptured, 16 remained at large.

“This was not a sophisticated or pre-planned jailbreak, but a glaring reflection of how severely prison security has deteriorated under the TVK administration’s watch,” he alleged. “Housing multiple undertrials in a single room, opening doors without verifying claims of a medical emergency, and allowing inmates to overpower staff and escape highlight utter incompetence and administrative decay,” he added. The BJP leader held Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar and CM Vijay directly responsible for the incident, alleging that routine official reports and the formation of search committees were mere formalities that reflected the government’s apathy towards law and order.

Demanding immediate action, Thirupathy called for adequate protection and medical care for the injured prison staff member, the immediate recapture of the absconding prisoners and strict disciplinary action against officials whose negligence allegedly enabled the escape.

“Superficial inspections and empty assurances from the concerned minister will not suffice,” Thirupathy said, warning that the Theni jailbreak would remain a glaring example of the TVK government’s administrative failure unless it demonstrated its ability to maintain law and order.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India