A robbery accused escaped from the Coimbatore Central Prison complex on Friday after prison personnel removed his handcuffs during admission, marking his second escape from custody in 24 hours and exposing another security breach in Tamil Nadu’s prison system.
The accused, identified as Raghavan from Annur in Coimbatore district, had been brought to the prison following a court order. He allegedly broke away while being escorted between the first and second gates of the facility’s two-tier entrance system. Race Course police launched a search for him.
Raghavan had escaped from Annur police station the previous evening but was later chased and recaptured. His second escape occurred despite security measures being tightened at the Coimbatore prison after 17 remand prisoners fled from Theni district jail on October 26.
The Coimbatore Central Prison, established in 1872, houses about 2,300 convicts and remand prisoners. Security is overseen by around 300 prison guards and police personnel, with CCTV cameras and mobile phone jammers supporting operations. The latest breach has renewed attention on how prisoners are transferred, restrained and monitored at entry points and other high-risk areas.
Security had already been visibly reinforced at the complex following the Theni incident. Central Reserve Police Force personnel wearing protective gear and helmets conducted a preparedness parade inside the prison, carrying lathis. Prisoners were instructed to complete their work and return to their cells by 5.30 pm, 30 minutes earlier than previously required. Staff were directed to carry walkie-talkies and lathis while on duty.
Security was also strengthened at the prisoners’ ward in Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, where a sub-inspector and armed personnel were deployed at the entrance. The hospital ward had previously been the site of an escape by an accused wanted in more than 40 cheating cases in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. That accused was later recaptured.
The latest incident comes amid administrative action following the Theni jailbreak. All 17 prisoners who escaped from the district jail have been brought back into custody, with 15 arrested and two surrendering. The prisoners allegedly attacked staff after one of them feigned a seizure. They are to be shifted to different prisons across Tamil Nadu.
The state government transferred Sandeep Rai Rathore, Director-General of Police (Prisons), to the post of DGP and Chief Vigilance Officer at Tangedco in Chennai. K Shankar, ADGP of the Enforcement Bureau-CID, was posted as ADGP, Prisons and Correctional Services. Theni Prison Superintendent Nageshwaran was suspended on Friday.
The Coimbatore escape places the focus on the immediate security procedures at the prison complex, including the movement of newly admitted prisoners between gates and the supervision of custody transfers. Further action will depend on the police search and the prison administration’s response to the breach.
