A 21-year-old Nepalese undertrial prisoner who escaped from Puzhal-II Central Prison in Chennai by scaling a 23-foot compound wall was caught near a tea shop in Anna Nagar on Thursday morning, while authorities continued searching for another prisoner who fled from a prison-run bazaar a day later.
Prison officials said K Sujith Buhari was traced to a tea shop near Thirumangalam in Anna Nagar at around 7.30am after officials received a tip-off. He was secured by a team of prison officials and taken back to Puzhal prison, where he was questioned about how he escaped.
According to preliminary inquiries cited by the officials, Buhari used an earthing cable running from a watchtower towards the compound wall. Sources said he used loops in the cable to climb the 23-foot-high wall before leaving the prison premises. No guard was posted at the watchtower at the time of the incident, they added.
Officials said Buhari told them that he escaped out of frustration because nobody had visited him in prison. The report identifies him as an undertrial prisoner, meaning his case had not resulted in a final conviction at the time of his escape.
The recapture followed two separate prison escapes within 24 hours, prompting prison authorities to form more than 14 special teams to trace the prisoners. The second escape involved a convict in a POCSO case, who fled from a prison-run bazaar on Wednesday. Police and prison officials were conducting a joint search for him.
The sequence has placed attention on security arrangements across prison premises and prison-linked facilities in Chennai. In Buhari’s case, the preliminary account identifies both a possible access route—a cable connected to a watchtower—and the absence of a guard at that location when the escape occurred. Officials were continuing their inquiries after bringing him back to Puzhal prison.
The search for the second prisoner remained underway, with police and prison officials working together to trace him. The authorities’ next steps include the continuing joint search and further questioning of Buhari about the escape.
