Undertrial flees again, second time in 24 hours

Coimbatore: A 25-year-old undertrial prisoner escaped from police custody for the second time in 24 hours at the entrance of the Coimbatore Central Prison in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The incident triggered a political row, with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami taking a swipe at the ruling TVK and saying prison breaks under the current administration had turned into a “never-ending television serial.”

He was apparently referring to the recent escape of two prisoners from the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai and the escape of 17 convicts from the Thekkampatti sub-jail this week. The escapees in both incidents were recaptured and lodged in jail. Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) K Shankar announced that a comprehensive security audit would be conducted across all prisons in Tamil Nadu to identify and address security gaps.

Officials have been ordered to implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with 100 per cent compliance to prevent further lapses, he told reporters in Theni after inspecting the Thekkampatti sub-jail. The inspection found that the prison, which has a capacity of 200, held more than 300 inmates. The ADGP said inmates were being redistributed to ease the overcrowding, and that instructions had been issued to follow specific protocols to prevent untoward incidents.

Regarding the Kovai incident, police said the prisoner, identified as Raghavan, alias Kozhikaran, escaped by pushing aside the personnel escorting him to prison after a court appearance. Four police personnel responsible for his security have been suspended for negligence, and Coimbatore city police, in coordination with other forces, have launched a large-scale search.

According to police, Raghavan, who is facing theft and robbery cases, was produced before a Fast Track Court on Friday night and remanded to judicial custody. He was brought to the prison complex at around 12.40 am on Saturday. As the escort took him between the first and second gates of the prison’s two-tier entrance, his handcuffs were removed for admission formalities. Raghavan pushed the personnel away, broke free and fled. This was his second escape in 24 hours and his third overall. He had earlier escaped from police custody in June 2026 while being taken to Bengaluru.

After being tracked down and arrested again on October 30, he briefly escaped from the Annur police station that evening before being chased down and caught, only to escape again at the prison gates hours later.

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