Jail officials suspended for dereliction of duty
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala police on Friday arrested a convict in a 2011 rape and murder case just hours after he escaped from the high-security prison in Kannur.
Govindachamy, serving a life sentence in Kannur Central Jail for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman, escaped from his cell in the 10th block of the prison around 4 am on Friday. Following an extensive manhunt, Govindachamy was captured from a well behind the National Sample Survey Office in the Talap locality around 11 am.
Three officiasl of the Central Prison were suspended for deriliction of duty in coonection with his escape. City Police Commissioner Nidhinraj IPS stated that Govindachamy was found hiding ina well on the premises of an abandoned building in Talap.
"Kannur town police were informed about the jailbreak around 6 am . The informatoin was immediately shared with all police stations in the state and neighbouring states. The media quickly telecast the newes alerting the public. This public vigilance played a vital role in tracing the fugitive.Three individuals who spotted Govindachamy provided crucial information to the police. I want to thank the media and the public for their cooperation," said the Commissioner.
A resident involved in the search told the media that Govindachamy was hiding in a well on the premises of an unused building. Meanwhile, a preliminary probe by DIG Prisons North Zone into the jailbreak highlighted serious lapses by the officials.
Prisons DGP Balram Kumar Upadhyaya told the media that Govindachamy executed the jailbreak with careful planning, possibly with assistance. He assured a detailed investigation into lapses in night inspections and CCTV monitoring.
Govindachamy cut through one horizontal and two vertical iron bars of his to carry out the daring escape early Friday morning.
Sources reveal that Govindachamy spent about 45 days cutting through the iron bars. The disabled offender from Viridhachalam, Tamil Nadu , was already facing multiple theft and mugging charges in Salem before Kerala police arrested him in February 2011 for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman.
In a robbery attempt, he pushed the woman, who worked at a private firm in Kochi, out of the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train and then raped her.She succumbed to her injuries on February 6.
In November 2011, the Thrissur Fast Track Court convicted him and sentenced him to death. The High Court later upheld this decision. However, in September 2016, the Supreme Court overturned the murder charges, cancelling the death sentence but maintaining a life sentence. The Supreme Court stated in its judgment that there was no substantial evidence to support the murder charge .
