Two prisoners escaped from Chennai’s high-security Puzhal Central Prison within 24 hours before both were arrested, prompting the suspension of seven prison personnel and a review of security lapses by Tamil Nadu’s prisons department.
Nepalese national Sudeep Bogati, 21, escaped from the prison on Tuesday night by using solar power cables fixed along the perimeter wall to scale the 23-foot barrier, according to the Times of India. He was arrested on Thursday morning at a tea shop after police traced him to the area.
Bogati, who weighs about 45kg and is 5.1 feet tall, reportedly timed his escape during the 10-minute change of guards at a watchtower. Heavy rain had caused the solar-powered electric fencing to snap at some point, allowing him to climb without receiving an electric shock, the report said. He suffered a hip injury after jumping from the wall and remained unconscious for nearly an hour before leaving the area.
By the time prison personnel detected the escape and began searching nearby areas, Bogati had reached Padi. Police said he told them he had been planning to flee to Nepal. He had been arrested by JJ Nagar police in August in a theft case and had previously lived in Kalaivani Nagar, Padi, where he worked at an electrical shop.
The second escape involved Suresh, 41, a convict serving a 20-year sentence in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act by Thirumangalam police. Convicted on January 22, 2024, Suresh had been permitted to work at Freedom Bazaar, a facility selling goods made by inmates and located next to the prison complex.
According to the report, Suresh escaped at around 10.30am on Wednesday by blending into the customer crowd and leaving the premises. After his arrest, he reportedly told officials that he wanted to meet his family. The incident raised questions about how inmates assigned to work outside the main prison areas are monitored and separated from visitors.
The two incidents occurred at Puzhal-I and Puzhal-II, separate units within the prison complex. On Thursday, DGP (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore inspected the premises, reviewed the security lapses and ordered tighter surveillance.
Seven prison personnel have been suspended so far. At Puzhal-I, the suspended officials are chief head warder Kannadasan, grade-I warder M R Mani and grade-II warder Prakash. At Puzhal-II, the action covers assistant jailor Jothiraman, chief head warder Alex Krishnaraj and grade-I warders Gunasekar and Rajesh Khanna. The prisons department’s next steps include tighter surveillance following the inspection and review of the reported lapses.
