Prison-Run Petrol Bunks in Tiruchy Closed After Prisoner Escapes

Tiruchy: As a precautionary measure, two prison-run petrol bunks in Tiruchy were suddenly closed by the prisons department following the escape of an inmate from a prison petrol bunk in Coimbatore.

The Coimbatore prison administration, in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation, operates a petrol bunk on Balasundaram Road in Gandhipuram, Coimbatore. On October 29, an inmate named Vijayarathinam, who was working at this petrol bunk, escaped. Following this incident, three individuals, including the head wardens, were suspended for negligence.

In the wake of this incident, guidelines have been issued to ensure the security of inmates working at prison-run petrol bunks in central prisons across Tamil Nadu, including Vellore, Chennai, Tiruchy, and Madurai. This includes a ban on guards using mobile phones, sources added.

Following this, as directed by the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police for Prisons, a petrol bunk, a restaurant, and chicken meat stalls, which were being run by the Tiruchy Central Prison using well-behaved inmates, have been temporarily closed.

A petrol bunk located in the Gandhi Market area in front of the special prison for women, handles business worth several lakhs of rupees every day, closed suddenly, leaving motorists and the public who came to fetch fuel for their vehicles disappointed.