Tamil Nadu has changed the leadership of its prison department after prisoners escaped from Puzhal and Theni district jails, according to a government order reported by Dinamalar. Prisons DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore has been transferred and assigned an additional role, while ADGP Shankar has been appointed as the new head of the prison department.
The order places Rathore, who was serving as Prisons DGP, as DGP of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation’s anti-corruption wing. Shankar, who was serving as ADGP in the Enforcement Directorate CID, has been appointed as Additional DGP of Prisons.
The changes follow two reported escape incidents involving Puzhal prison in Chennai and a district prison in Theni. The source report does not provide details on the identities of the prisoners, the timing or method of the escapes, or whether they have been recaptured. It also does not state whether the government order records specific findings against any officer.
The leadership change places the state’s prison administration under a new senior officer at a time when the security and management of correctional facilities have come under scrutiny. The Prisons Department is responsible for the operation of central and district jails, inmate custody, internal security and the administration of prison facilities across Tamil Nadu.
The government order also lists transfers and new postings for several other Indian Police Service officers. Sanjay Mathur has been appointed DGP of the Crime Records Bureau. Sonal Chandra has been posted as Inspector General in the DGP’s office. Stalin has been appointed Superintendent of Police in Tenkasi, while Asok Kumar has been appointed Superintendent of Police in the Anti-Terrorism Squad in Madurai.
The reported reshuffle illustrates how prison-security incidents can trigger changes across the senior policing structure, but the material supplied does not establish the administrative findings behind each posting. It also does not specify any new security measures, inquiry timetable or operational changes for Puzhal and Theni prisons.
The immediate administrative step is the assumption of charge by the newly appointed officers under the Tamil Nadu government’s order. Further details on the escape incidents, departmental reviews or measures at the two prisons were not included in the report.
